THAI-CAMBODIAN RELATIONS ON THE MEND

PATTAYA, April 10 (Bernama) -- Thailand and Cambodia, whose relations have been frosty over the past year because of border disputes, took a step forward to improve bilateral ties, following a meeting between Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Sen, on the sidelines of the 14th Asean Summit and related summits here Friday.

Abhisit described the latest border skirmish on March 3, this year, near a
900-year-old Hindu temple as having been due to a misunderstanding and vowed to
improve relations between the two nations.

Thailand also took a step forward today by agreeing to hand over seven
artifacts belonging to Cambodia, which had been smuggled across the
Thai-Cambodian border and seized by the Thai authorities in 2000.

Abhisit handed over one of them Friday to Hun Sen while the rest would be
presented when the Thai prime minister makes an official visit to Phnom Penh on
April 18.

The artifacts were among 50 intercepted by Thai Customs officials as they
were smuggled across.

On Feb 24, this year, the Thai Cabinet adopted a resolution to restitute the
seven artifacts to the Cambodian Government, in accordance with an agreement
signed between the two governments in 2000, to combat against illicit
trafficking and cross-border smuggling of movable cultural property.
-- BERNAMA