| Abhisit Vejjajiva called on his electoral contenders on Tuesday to manifest their resolute grounds on a chronic Thai-Cambodian dispute. The caretaker prime minister vying to return to power following Jul'3 election suggested not only his Democrat Party but all others publicly express their definite stands on the Thai-Cambodian border issue currently handled at the World Court.
Mr Abhisit was responding to speculation the Thai government's gestures toward the border issue might substantially change only if the Democrats were defeated by the Puea Thai Party in the nationwide polls.
He said his Democrat-led government had maintained the Thai territorial integrity and countered alleged Cambodian offensives along the shared border.
'The Democrat Party has unambiguously stated a standpoint against territorial offensives under pretext of a World Heritage status,' said the party leader, referring to disputed border spots in proximity of Preah Vihear temple, awarded by the World Court to Cambodia about half a century ago.
According to the caretaker premier, the Thai side had called on the Cambodians to settle the prolonged conflict on basis of bilateral talk denied by Phnom Penh which had instead forwarded it to the World Court.
His Cambodian counter Hun Sen dismissed possibilities the case at the Hague-based court might be withheld, prompting Bangkok and Phnom Penh to hold bilateral talk.
Military forces have been gradually built up and stand-offs maintained on both sides of the border pending a World Court judgment.
Thai and Cambodian military units engaged in crossborder clashes in disputed areas of Thailand's Surin and Srisaket provinces and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces, resulting in deaths and injuries of several soldiers and civilians on both sides earlier this year. Produced by VoiceTV |
