5-star General Hun Xen and 1-moon General Bun Rany Hun Xen wrapped up visit to Preah Vihear

Cambodian premier visits border temple as Thai relations simmer

Feb 6, 2010
DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen wrapped up a visit Saturday to Preah Vihear temple on the country's northern border with Thailand, in a visit laced with political and military symbolism.

Both Hun Sen, a five-star general, and his wife arrived in military uniform flanked by numerous high-ranking officials, and later took part in a ceremony at the 11th-century temple.

Preah Vihear has been the scene of repeated clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops over the past 18 months, with a number of deaths reported.

Government spokesman Prak Sokhon called it a dual-purpose trip.

'First, to say hello to all the troops, to encourage them and thank them for their efforts to protect the territory,' he said.

'And secondly, it is to send a message to the Thai side that we don't want any war. We would like to solve any dispute through peaceful means and we are not here to use any military force unless we are forced to.'

Prak Sokhon said Hun Sen would visit several border-based military units on the trip and would be away from Phnom Penh 'for three or four days.'

The proposed visit provoked angry exchanges between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, with Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs describing reported Thai objections to the visit as 'pointless and nonsense' in a statement released late Friday.

In Bangkok on Saturday, however, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said they had no problem with Hun Sen visiting nearby Khmer territory. But he added they must first inform Thailand if they plan to enter Thai territory, the government news agency reported.

Abhisit said Cambodian authorities had informed Thai officials of Hun Sen's trip and he ordered Thai security officials to monitor his movements.

Chhaya Hang, the executive director of the Khmer Institute of Democracy, a Phnom Penh-based non-governmental organisation focused on democracy, politics and human rights, said the visit was clearly a political statement aimed at Bangkok.

'[It says] that Cambodia's not backing out of this political game and not giving up any more land, and they are fed up,' Chhaya Hang said. He noted that it also gives Hun Sen a chance to show his domestic audience that he is concerned about the country's borders.

Cambodia's borders, which are in the process of being demarcated, are a highly sensitive topic.

The leader of the opposition, Sam Rainsy, was recently sentenced to two years in jail in absentia after he removed six wooden border posts placed by Vietnam, which is a staunch supporter of the Cambodian government.

The International Court of Justice awarded the Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962, but did not rule on the surrounding land which is claimed by both nations.

Over the past 18 months, Thai nationalists have used the Preah Vihear issue to stoke tensions. Much of the border has yet to be demarcated.

The relationship between Cambodia and Thailand has been tense for more than a year, and worsened markedly in October when Cambodia appointed Thailand's fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra to be a government adviser.