Roundup: Cambodia Lends Support For New Thai Gov't: Thai Foreign Minister

Cambodia has expressed solid support for the new Thai government headed by Premier Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, newly-appointed Thai foreign minister Gen Thanasak Patimaprakorn said on Tuesday.

The army general, who is concurrently deputy premier, visited Phnom Penh on Monday to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defense Minister Tea Banh.

Gen Thanasak quoted Hun Sen as saying Phnom Penh showed confidence in Gen Prayuth who will hopefully put the country forward and make it part of an ASEAN Economic Community, scheduled to open next year.

Besides acting as head of the interim government, Gen Prayuth concurrently chairs the National Council for Peace and Order, the official name of the junta he headed to seize power from a civilian government in the May 22 coup.

"Somdej Hun Sen expressed his congratulations and support for Gen Prayuth and believed that the NCPO and the new government will put the country forward and join the AEC in sustainable fashion," the Thai foreign minister said.

He said the new Thai premier will soon visit his Cambodian counterpart in Phnom Penh in an effort to strengthen bilateral relationships, which had been held close and cordial during the time of deposed premier Yingluck Shinawatra over the last few years.
Meanwhile, the Cambodian government has repeatedly pledged to see to it that nobody might possibly use Cambodian territory or facility to launch any movement against Gen Prayuth's military-led government, according to the foreign minister.

His comments followed earlier news reports that a certain few Thais had allegedly sought asylum inside Cambodia and planned to launch an anti-coup movement from there.

That referred to former interior minister/ex-Pheu Thai (for Thai) Party leader Charupong Ruangsuwan and former prime minister' s office minister Jakrapob Penkair who had allegedly set up an Organization of Free Thais for Human Rights and Democracy.

Cambodian authorities have categorically dismissed such allegations and confirmed that Phnom Penh has remained uninvolved in Thailand's internal affairs.

The Thai foreign minister also quoted the Cambodian defense minister as saying the Thai and Cambodian military will continue to cooperate with each other and split the difference over unresolved border disputes between the two neighboring countries.

"Gen Tea Banh was concerned over news reports in the media that the two countries had allegedly developed conflicts with each other despite the fact that we have reached mutual understanding and extended cooperation," he said.

He added that Gen Tea Banh expressed his admiration for the Thai military and other authorities to have promptly managed to bring back a large number of Cambodian workers who had earlier fled Thailand at the news of the bloodless coup a few months ago.

An estimated 200,000 Cambodians had scrambled to leave for their homeland during an early period of the coup in the Thai capital.
Some 400,000 Cambodians including those who departed have reportedly worked and stayed in Thailand. Most have been employed at construction sites and fruit orchards in varied parts of the country and Bangkok's outlying areas. (Cihan/Xinhua)