On 23 April 2011, Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave a press conference on the armed clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border in Phanom Dong Rak District, Surin Province, during 22-23 April 2011. Gist as follows:

1. Following the armed clashes in the morning of 23 April 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would issue a second protest note to Cambodia as well as a statement to put on record the facts regarding the incident.

2. The Foreign Minister unequivocally rejected the allegations made by Cambodia that Thailand had deployed aircrafts or used poison gas against Cambodia, noting that the Thai side only uses helicopters to evacuate those who had been injured within Thai territory. The Foreign Minister further reaffirmed that the Thai side had never been the first to open fire, and that it would only respond in self-defence in order to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as to protect its civilians.  In this regard, contrary to Cambodian attacks at civilian targets, which had adversely affected Thai civilians and forced them to evacuate from the area, Thailand’s responses were strictly directed only at military targets.

3. The Foreign Minister concurred with the statement by the Indonesian Foreign Minister urging Thailand and Cambodia to avoid further armed clashes and to resume their bilateral negotiations as soon as possible, as this was what Thailand had always called for.  Thailand and Cambodia have bilateral mechanisms to discuss issues, including the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), the General Border Committee (GBC) and the Regional Border Committee (RBC).  In addition, the Foreign Minister had instructed the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh to propose a meeting between him and his counterpart.  He noted, however, that the Cambodian side had so far tried to avoid negotiating with the Thai side.  In this regard, he appealed to Cambodia and the Cambodian Prime Minister to come back to the negotiating table and resume bilateral talks with a view to ensuring security and safety along the border.  This, he noted, could proceed in parallel with the boundary negotiation under the JBC following the outcome of the recent JBC meeting in Bogor, Indonesia.   

4. Foreign Minister Kasit further noted that on 23 April 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held consultations with other Thai security authorities (the Ministry of Defence, the National Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Council) on Thai-Cambodian relations.  In this regard, he reaffirmed that Thailand upholds three key principles in conducting its policy.  These are: 1) using bilateral mechanisms to address issues in bilateral relations, 2) de-linking one issue from another and the overall relations, and 3) reaffirming Thailand’s intention to narrow the development gap between Thailand and Cambodia and also within ASEAN.  The Foreign Minister underscored the goodwill of the Thai people towards the Cambodian people, stressing further that Thailand’s policy towards Cambodia is based on mutual prosperity of the two peoples, and that this has been reflected in the Thai Government’s policy and actions.  In this connection, the Foreign Minister expressed his wish that the Cambodian leader would do likewise and take into consideration the bilateral cooperation on various issues, and refrain from any action that would adversely affect the well-being of the people.  Foreign Minister Kasit added that over the years, Thailand has rendered support to Cambodia in many aspects, including concessional loans, development of transportation networks and tourism through such measures as exemption of visa for the holders of ordinary passports and the single visa scheme with a view to promoting the goal of “Two Kingdoms, One Destination.”   As for the issues of land and maritime boundaries, there are existing mechanisms for both sides to discuss.  These mechanisms should be allowed to proceed.

The Foreign Minister also recalled Thailand’s proposal for Southeast Asian historians to conduct a review of Southeast Asian history with a view to creating mutual understanding and as a step towards building of an ASEAN Community.  Thailand therefore has no desire to see armed clashes spreading along the Thai-Cambodian border but only wished for friendly, constructive and forward-looking relations with Cambodia.

5. Foreign Minister Kasit said that as a democracy with multi-party parliamentary system, Thailand has to follow its constitutional rules and processes.  Consultations must be held with relevant agencies and views from various sectors of society heard.  Hence, on the issue of the dispatch of Indonesian observers to the Thai side of the border, the Foreign Minister has to consult the relevant agencies in order to ensure thorough study of the details and arrive at a consensus.  He noted that he would send a note to the Indonesian Foreign Minister on this issue after obtaining a response from the Ministry of Defence to confirm some details, including the conditions that no troop would be stationed in the area of the Temple of Phra Viharn or the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda.  Furthermore, the presence of the Indonesian observers must not affect the boundary negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia.  

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23 April 2011