Senate president Hun Sen addresses the annual assembly of Buddhist monks on November 21. AKP
Senate president Hun Sen has stressed that national stability and positive relations with neighbouring countries are essential for a nation’s development. He also raised the question of whether Cambodia should introduce laws to classify opposition groups as “terrorists”.
Speaking at the annual Buddhist monks assembly on November 21, Hun Sen accused opposition groups abroad of inciting Cambodians to protest by demanding sovereignty over Koh Kut, an island currently under maritime boundary negotiations between Cambodia and Thailand.
He emphasised that provoking public anger against a neighbouring country is unproductive, noting that past border disputes with Thailand, particularly those from 15 years ago, left scars that have yet to heal.
"With neighbouring countries, we must foster close cooperation and peaceful coexistence. After the war, I set two priorities. [The first was] transforming former battlefields into development zones and markets. Today, we have achieved over 95 per cent of that goal, with only 5 per cent remaining – lands still containing mines," he said.
Hun Sen elaborated on his second priority – transforming border areas with neighbouring countries into zones of peace and cooperation.
"If Cambodia were to engage in conflict with neighbouring countries, we would have to deploy tens of thousands of troops along the border. Those in the rear would have to send supplies to the front lines. Is this what we want?" he asked.
"Indeed, every country has extremists. However, the extremism in Cambodia is unusual. Such extremists should be addressed through legal means," Hun Sen remarked.
He urged opposition groups in Cambodia, Thai extremists in Thailand and the general public to allow the two governments to resolve the Koh Kut issue through diplomatic negotiations. He also called on military forces to avoid mobilising near the Koh Kut area, whether on land or at sea.
In recent weeks, Thai opposition parties have pressured their government to establish a commission to negotiate the maritime boundary with Cambodia before exploiting resources in the overlapping areas between the two nations.
While Cambodia has remained silent on the Koh Kut matter, Prime Minister Hun Manet clarified that the government is not ignoring the issue. Instead, he explained, it is being addressed through formal mechanisms, as the two countries have yet to reach an agreement on the maritime boundary.
