Baan Muang Editorial

The recent meeting in New York between Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen should help improve relations between the two neighbouring countries. Bilateral ties turned sour after Cambodia listed the historic Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site. This subsequently led to a confrontation between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in a disputed area near the Hindu temple.

At the height of the conflict, both countries recalled their ambassadors. In fact, problems between the two countries arose soon after Mr Abhisit took up the premiership in December 2008. Members of the opposition Puea Thai Party stoked the conflict by enhancing their friendship with the Cambodian leader. Now that Mr Abhisit and Hun Sen have met at the US-Asean summit in New York, bilateral ties should improve significantly.

The spirit of friendship should be fostered, so that the two countries can solve longstanding issues which have caused tension and misunderstanding on both sides. At their meeting, the two premiers reiterated that good relations were of the utmost importance. From now on, Thailand and Cambodia will arrange more ministerial meetings and organise more activities to further improve relations between the two countries and their peoples..

Sourced=bangkokpost