As Thailand recovered yesterday from Saturday’s deadly clashes between government forces and “red shirt” protesters in Bangkok, the Cambodian government pushed for an urgent Asean summit to discuss ways to end its neighbor’s internal conflict.
In a letter sent to the Vietnamese government—which currently holds the rotating chair of Asean—Asean foreign ministers and the Asean secretary-general, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said the image of all Asean nations could be affected by violence in Thailand that reportedly claimed the lives of 21 people on Saturday.
“In light of this very grave development, which no one knows when it will end and whether it will lead to more bloodshed, I think that we, as fellow Asean member states cannot stand idle and leave Asean’s image at stake any further,” Mr Namhong said in his letter to Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem.
“Therefore, I would like to propose that Vietnam as chair of Asean should issue a declaration on the situation in Thailand, or convene an urgent special Asean summit in order to help looking for any appropriate ways to defuse such an extremely explosive situation in our friendly Thailand.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said yesterday that the government had not yet received a response from Asean officials about the government’s proposed summit, as Mr Namhong’s letter was only sent on Saturday night. But he said something had to be done to stop the Thai conflict from harming every member of Asean.
Mr Kuong also reiterated the government’s Feb 22 warning for citizens looking to travel to Thailand, saying those wishing to go to the neighboring country should only do so if absolutely necessary.
“The situation in Thailand is extremely tense right now…and it may impact on tourism sector and other sectors too,” Mr Kuong said, adding that he believed the Asean community should work together to solve the Thai crisis.
Mr Kuong declined to say whether he thought Thailand would welcome the government’s calls for an Asean crisis meeting.
“It’s up to the Thai side. Cambodia does not mean the letter [to Asean] to impact on cooperation between the two countries,” he said.
A Thai government spokesman was unavailable yesterday.
Cheam Yeap, CPP lawmaker and chairman of the National Assembly’s finance and banking commission, said he expected the Thai violence to have some impact on Cambodia’s tourism industry.
“I think the fighting will impact the tourism sector in Cambodia,” Mr Yeap said.
“But I do not think this will be a big problem because there are direct flights to Cambodia from China…and we have direct flights from South Korea and from Laos and from Japan and from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.”
“The impact will be from Thailand only.”
When protesters in Bangkok forced the closure of Suvarnabhumi International Airport in 2008, Cambodia’s airport operator, Societe Concessionnaire des Aeroports, said 25 percent of all of Cambodia’s air arrivals arrived from Bangkok.
Phnom Penh travel agent Rachana Chim said he believed the Thai violence would have an impact on local tourism operators but did not think it would cripple the industry.
Mr Chim, managing director of Mekong Imperial International Travel and Tours, said yesterday that all buses and planes from Phnom Penh to Bangkok were still operating but said that fewer people were currently booking tickets.
“I booked three people on a flight to Bangkok and they were all journalists,” Mr Chim said.
At Thailand and Cambodia’s disputed borderline in Preah Vihear province, Major General Srey Dek, commander of the RCAF 3rd Division, said the situation was still “stable,” adding that Thai troops had told him they wished they could withdraw to help stabilize Bangkok.
“The situation at the border is stable and there is no tension but I got information from my Thai counterpart that their troops want to withdraw,” Maj Gen Dek said.
(Additional reporting by Eang Mengleng)
