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Phikulkaew: Working to find a solution

28/05/2011
Bangkok Post

There is no end in sight to the strained Thai-Cambodian relations as both sides explore new options for a non-military solution to the border security crisis.

Publicly, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the military have dealt with the Thai-Cambodian border dispute. But behind the scenes, a parliamentary panel has quietly been trying to hammer out a solution to the conflict.

The Senate standing committee on foreign affairs has studied the border conflict for some time although its work has gone unreported by the media.

The panel, headed by Phikulkaew Krairiksh, has interviewed people in the know and compiled information on the impacts of the bilateral fallout.

It has interviewed local experts, academics, and individuals who have borne the brunt of the border hostilities.

Panel members have also visited the border provinces of Surin and Si Sa Ket to see for themselves the reality of the situation on the ground. They have heard the plight and the demands of local officials, soldiers and villagers living in the conflict zones.

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