BANGKOK—Philippine President Benigno Aquino said his country was
prepared to step in to help resolve a bitter Thai-Cambodian border row,
during a visit to Bangkok on Thursday.
Aquino said the Philippines was ready to send observers to help
efforts to cool the dispute, which erupted into deadly clashes between
the neighbors last month, if they were needed.
“If both sides are interested, the Philippines is ready to help,” he
told reporters following a meeting with Thailand’s leader Abhisit
Vejjajiva.
The fighting, which left 18 dead and temporarily displaced 85,000,
dominated the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) this month, and failure to find a resolution raised
doubts over the effectiveness of regional diplomacy.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia center on a small patch of
land surrounding the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on their shared
border, although the most recent clashes were about 150 kilometers (90
miles) further west.
The relationship between the neighbors has been strained since Preah Vihear was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.
Thailand and Cambodia agreed in February to accept Indonesian
military observers on the border but the initiative remains on ice due
to Thai demands that Cambodia first pull troops out of the temple.
Aquino, who arrived in Thailand Thursday afternoon, is expected to
meet members of the Filipino community in Bangkok before departing for
Manila on Friday afternoon.
Inquirer Global Nation
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