Foreign ministry warns that Thai legal plans ‘threaten ceasefire, violate sovereignty’
8:34 PM
0
The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has warned that planned legal action against Cambodian leaders, as discussed by Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, will constitute a violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the principle of sovereign equality.
An August 19 statement from the ministry was issued in response to the acting prime minister’s claims that Thailand will pursue domestic legal against Cambodian Senate president Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet.
“Thailand’s legal actions against Cambodian leaders not only violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the principle of sovereign equality and mutual respect as enshrined in the UN Charter, but also severely damage Cambodia-Thailand relations,” said the statement.
“Moreover, this action seriously undermines all previous efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and to restore peace and normalcy between the two countries,” it added.
The ministry noted that Thailand’s claim of legal actions would harm efforts to restore trust, which is essential for effectively implementing the ceasefire agreed upon by Cambodia and Thailand on July 28, as well as the agreements reached during the extraordinary meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC), held on August 7 in Malaysia.
It said Cambodia reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Royal Thai Government to achieve peace and restore normal relations as soon as possible.
On August 18, Phumtham Wechayachai told Thai media that his government was preparing legal measures against Hun Sen and Hun Manet, alleging that Cambodia had used its military to infringe upon Thailand’s territorial integrity.
A day prior to the July 24 outbreak of hostilities, the Thai military announced a military operation named Chakraphong Phuvanaat, a strategy previously employed during the 2008 Preah Vihear Temple dispute. The decision came after land mine explosions injured Thai soldiers on July 16 and 23, with Thailand attempting to blame Cambodia for the incidents.
Credited: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/
