No shortcut across Thai-Cambodian minefield

4 November 2014
The Nation
Government / International relations / Ministries and other national bodies / Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation / Ministry of National Defense
Hun Sen / ICJ / International Court of Justice / Prayut Chan-o-cha / Preah Vihear

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made a minor misstep in the minefield of Thai-Cambodian relations on the eve of his official visit to our neighbour last week. Prior to his departure for Phnom Penh, Prayut proposed an idea for joint development of Preah Vihear, the ancient temple ruins at the centre of a long-running border dispute between the two countries. For this, Cambodia would have to open a gate to the north-west of the temple to allow access for visitors from the Thai side. However, before Prayut had a chance to discuss the matter with his counterpart Hun Sen, Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry killed the proposal. It said that that reopening the approach to Preah Vihear from the Thai side was “unnecessary” since Cambodia had sufficient infrastructure to serve tourists who wanted to visit the heritage gem. …

 The Nations News Staff
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/No-shortcut-across-Thai-Cambodian-minefield-30246882.html