Bangkok: The Prime Minister talked to Hun Sen and Hun Manet and agreed to adhere to peaceful methods. The Prime Minister reiterated the results of the negotiations on the Thai-Cambodian border, which were smooth. He revealed that he had talked to Hun Sen and Hun Manet and agreed to adhere to peaceful methods, using techniques, and sincerely negotiating until Cambodia adjusted its troops. He said that he was aware of Sonthi's submission of a letter urging the government to maintain its sovereignty. He vowed to solve each issue and not generalize MOU 44. He also thanked all the officers and asked the public to be confident that there would definitely be no violence.
According to Thai News Agency, Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra revealed during the cabinet meeting that regarding the Thai-Cambodian border, over the past week the government has made every effort to resolve the conflicting situation and has worked together with many sectors, with the results being relatively peaceful and orderly.
At the policy level, the government has instructed security agencies, especially the local military, to coordinate international cooperation under the framework of bilateral cooperation. They have discussed the matter under international law. I would like to emphasize that all agencies, both Thai and Cambodian, have discussed the matter. I have also discussed it with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Cambodian President of the Privy Council and President of the Cambodian Senate, Hun Sen. We have coordinated and negotiated to preserve the sovereignty of the country and the highest interests of the people. The result is that we have been able to negotiate peacefully, which has prevented any violent clashes from occurring.
The Prime Minister also said that at the local level, security agencies and the military have coordinated with the leaders of the Cambodian armed forces many times to hold talks at the border, and each unit is already familiar with each other. Therefore, the talks went well. Samdech Hun Sen has coordinated to send the commanders of the armed forces and General Nyok Boonchai, former Deputy Prime Minister, to ask for cooperation in resolving the issue and to inspect the disputed area. He came to inspect it himself and reported to Samdech Hun Sen, who led to a better understanding. In addition, the personnel in the disputed area have been adjusted to be in a normal situation in the disputed area. In other areas, the personnel are still the same.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that the meeting of the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) on 14 June has been confirmed at all levels to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of both countries, confirming that the meeting will definitely take place. As for Cambodia's intention to refer the matter to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or the World Court, the Thai government confirmed that it does not accept the jurisdiction of the World Court. In the past, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proceeded through diplomatic means, which is a good practice that is accepted in the international arena and has always yielded good results. In this regard, sometimes details cannot be disclosed to the public because it is a matter of respect for the discussion of information between the two countries. This is a necessity that may not always be reported.
As for the measures between the two countries' borders, they have been instructed to open and close the border according to the time frame, not permanently closed as reported in the news because it is well known that there is international trade. If it is closed, it will affect the people. Therefore, there must be strict measures regarding opening and closing times.
The Prime Minister also thanked all relevant officials in the negotiations. Over the past week, I have spoken with all the unit leaders who have reported directly to me the whole time. Some things I still do not want the Prime Minister to disclose because it could have negative effects. There are many issues where information has leaked out, and after talking with Cambodia, we have reached an agreement and understanding. I would like to ask for cooperation from the media in communicating correct information and not creating division within the country in order to create stability and confidence for the people that we will get through this peacefully. The business operators there will also have confidence. The government would like to reaffirm that all of these negotiations went smoothly and emphasized that there will definitely be no violence against the people.
The reporter asked if the Prime Minister could say that there would be no war. Ms. Paethongtarn said yes.
When asked how he could be confident in Cambodia's stance since there was a recent announcement that there would be a troop adjustment, the Prime Minister said that we communicated about this in many ways, such as not wanting to use the words "both sides retreating" but rather an adjustment of forces. From the discussion, both sides adjusted their forces, showing respect for both sides, not just Cambodia, which also adjusted its forces. At the same time, we are ready to deal with it as well. No matter what kind of clashes there are, we must be prepared in advance. As I have said before, if there is an incident, we must be prepared.
When asked whether the Yam Fao Pandin Foundation, led by Mr. Sondhi Limthongkul, had submitted a letter requesting the government to maintain sovereignty, the Prime Minister said that he had acknowledged it but had not yet seen it. The government listens to all opinions. At the same time, the army has already deployed forces to provide care. We are listening to all suggestions.
As for the request of the Yam Fao Pandin Foundation, which wants the government to cancel MOU 44, will it be considered or not? The Prime Minister said that this matter is MOU 43. The Prime Minister asked back whether they will lump everything together. The reporter then asked if MOU 44 is also a problematic part, will they take the opportunity to consider canceling it? The Prime Minister said that we will consider each case, as confirmed with Cambodia. Let's focus on this dispute, not mix every issue together. Otherwise, it will not be clear on each topic. But of course, the government and the executive department must consider and take care of the details of the issues that are still problematic or not yet resolved.
When asked if this meant the government would solve the problems one by one, Ms. Paethongtarn said, 'Yes, we will solve them one by one.'
The reporter asked what secret weapon the Prime Minister had in negotiating with General Hun Manet and Samdech Hun Sen that led them to agree to adjust their forces. The Prime Minister smiled and said that he spoke with sincerity, that he had such sincerity and did not want to see the people of both countries having problems. He wanted peace and to accelerate the economy more because he did not want it to become a battlefield.