Cambodian PM warns Thailand not to block access to Ta Muen Thom

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has warned Thailand not to cross the line by blocking Cambodian access to the disputed Ta Muen Thom Temple, according to the Khmer Times.

Hun Manet issued the warning while addressing the National Fish Day ceremony in Takeo province yesterday.

He said that such unilateral action by Thailand, on still disputed sites, would lead to serious consequences.

“I am making it clear. The Ta Muen Thom, Ta Muen Toch, Tak Krabei and Mom Bei area are not yet finalised. The dispute is being addressed through the international legal system. No one can act unilaterally to block entry,” Hun Sen is quoted to have said.

The Cambodian prime minister emphasised that the boundary demarcation must follow the 1904 and 1907 Franco-Siam treaties and the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding, as well as the maps derived from those agreements.

Hun Manet was also quoted, by Cambodia’s Fresh News, as saying that he hopes to discuss the reopening of all border checkpoints between Cambodia and Thailand “with the new prime minister of Thailand” and insisted that, if Thailand reopens all the check points, Cambodia will also do so within five hours.

Exiled Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy, meanwhile, said in his Facebook post that Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen stirred up the border dispute between the two countries to distract the attention of the Cambodian people from his government’s failure to address economic problems and to contain increasing public resentment towards the government.

He also noted that Hen Sen wants to protect his own vested interests in the widespread scam operations in Cambodia, which have been badly affected by the strong measures adopted by Thailand against trans-border illegal activities operating from Cambodia.