TOKYO, Nov 7 (TNA) -- Reiterating that the Thai government’s decision to downgrade diplomatic relations with its neighbour Cambodia is not considered severe, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said here Saturday that convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra should first take Thailand’s interests into consideration rather than that of another country.
Mr Abhisit, who attended the two-day Japan-Mekong summit in Tokyo which ended earlier Saturday, said the problem was not caused by Thailand, and that what the Cambodian government did affected the Thai judicial system directly.
Mr Thaksin is also a Thai and he should have realised the impact, but he instead charged that the Thai government had caused the problem, said Mr Abhisit.
“In fact, Mr Thaksin should review his role of what he’s doing and think of the country’s interests as his priority and also to think on good relations with the country’s neighbours as well,” said Mr Abhisit.
His remarks were made after Mr Thaksin, whose government was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006, on Friday criticised the Thai government’s decision to downgrade diplomatic ties with Cambodia.
Both countries have recalled their ambassadors while Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya has said he would ask the cabinet to consider revoking a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries on overlapping maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Thailand as the MoU would be affected by Mr Thaksin’s appointment as economic advisor to the Cambodian government.
The MoU regarding the Area of their Overlapping Maritime Claims to the Continental Shelf, dated 18 June 2001 was signed by then-foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An during the Thaksin administration.
Thailand’s Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced Mr Thaksin to a two-year prison term in absentia after finding him guilty of a conflict of interest in Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek land purchase case in 2003.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, however, argued that the charges against Mr Thaksin were politically motivated.
Mr Abhisit said that he did not understand why Mr Thaksin cared more about another country’s interests rather than his own country.
He added that earlier reports that Mr Thaksin had vested interest in that country could be true.
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