Suthep spurns Surakiart's call [for Thailand to hold dialogue with Cambodia]

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Friday brushed aside former foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai's call for the government to initiate talks with Cambodia to normalise the relations between the two countries.

Mr Surakiart made the call during a seminar on the Thai-Cambodian relations at Chulalongkorn University on Thursday. He also said the Thai-Cambodian conflict should be raised for discussion in the Asean forum.

Mr Suthep said the conflict was between two counries and it should not be made a problem of Asean.

"It is not that we fear it would be a loss of face. It is a difference of thinking. Mr Surakiart may have his own thinking, but the government thinks the problem of two countries should not of Asean or a higher level," Mr Suthep said.

He said it would take some time before the two countries reach a good understanding. As long as conditions leading to the conflict remains, it would be difficult to hold talks, he said.

The relations between Thailand and Cambodia deterioated after former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was appointed economic adviser to the Cambodian government and personal adviser of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Hun Sen's refusal to turn down Thailand's request to extradite Thaksin started diplomatic spats between the two countries.

Mr Suthep denied knowing anything about a report that the Cambodian government would be asked to strip Thaksin of the advisory post, saying he did not know what steps the Foreign Ministry had taken so far.

He said the conflict between the two countries had been limited to diplomatic spats, while the military relations had been intact. Soldiers of the two countries had been in good communication to prevent tensions along the border, he added.

"We neighbours may have a quarrel, but that should not be allowed to develop to fighting. We have to maintain peace," Mr Suthep said.

Mr Suthep, who is in charge of security affairs, said the Thai-Cambodian General Border Meeting (GBC) would continue and there would not be a border closure because doing so could affect the ways of life and brotherly relations between peoples along the border.