The Nation
Abhisit non-committal on four-point draft proposed by Hun Sen; Cambodia ‘ready to station Asean forces’ on its soil if Thailand rejects proposal
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday expressed some reservations about a ceasefire agreement proposed by his Cambodian counterpart.
“It’s too early to talk about the signing of the agreement,” Abhisit said. “I’ve not yet seen the details.”
Abhisit, so far, has said he would welcome bilateral talks with Cambodia and support from Asean. He was convinced that Asean would not interfere in the content of the issues discussed at the negotiating table.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said during a rare press conference yesterday that Cambodia would ask Thailand to sign a permanent ceasefire, witnessed by Asean foreign ministers or the Asean chairman, next Tuesday at the meeting of the grouping’s foreign ministers in Jakarta.
“It will be better if the Asean chair can sign on the permanent ceasefire,” Hun Sen was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency. According to Xinhua, he has put forward four points for a permanent ceasefire:
- Cambodia and Thailand agree to stop fighting permanently. There should not be any more armed clashes;
- There should be no movement of armed forces during this time and the armed forces of both sides should maintain their current positions until a resolution on demarcating the border;
- Cambodia and Thailand must encourage the two countries’ army commanders to open talks to improve cooperation to restore the situation to the pre-July 15, 2008, level;
- To ensure the effectiveness of the ceasefire, Cambodia will ask Asean countries to monitor it.
“I believe Thailand will not agree at this point, but if Thailand does not agree on the fourth point, Cambodia will receive forces from Asean countries to be stationed on Cambodian territory to observe and ensure the ceasefire,” Xinhua quoted Hun Sen as saying.
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