Cambodia, Thailand Recall Ambassadors in Row over Thaksin

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Thursday the recall of Thailand’s ambassador to Cambodia was in retaliation over the appointment of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra as an advisor to Cambodian leader, Hun Sen.

The move by Thailand was quickly followed by Cambodia which later announced it was recalling its ambassador to Thailand.

The appointment of Thaksin follows a recent increase in tensions between Cambodia and Thailand over the former fugitive leader during a recent summit of South East Asian leaders when Prime Minister Hun Sen praised Thaksin.

Thaksin, ousted from power in a 2006 coup, was found guilty last year by a Thai court on charges of corruption and conflict of interest in a land deal involving his wife. He fled Thailand before the two year jail sentence was handed down.

Kraisak Choonhavan, a member of Abhisit’s governing Democrat Party, says bilateral ties have been severely damaged by Hun Sen’s decision. "As I see it, unless Hun Sen does a big reversal of his policy appointing Thaksin, this is going to take us towards very serious problems in our relations. It was totally unpredictable that Hun Sen would go to this extent, I must say."

Further escalation possible

Kraisak said there was a danger of the dispute escalating further, possibly with vital border crossings between the neighbouring countries being shut down. In recent years, Thailand and Cambodia have faced strained bilateral relations over disputed land surrounding an 11th century Khmer temple. Brief border clashes have led to casualties on both sides.

Thaksin is known to have long standing close ties with Hun Sen in both business and politics.

But senior Cambodian opposition parliamentarian Son Chhay says he does not expect Thaksin to make a major contribution to the Cambodian economy.

"It will be better if Thaksin stays away from Cambodia. We do not understand the decision of our Prime Minister here in appointing Mr. Thaksin. In Cambodia we have so many advisors already. Thaksin was perhaps a successful businessman in Thailand but his kind of knowledge is not suitable for Cambodia where we have so many problems with corruption already."

A campaign by Thaksin's supporters?

Obervers in Thailand say the Cambodian appointment appears to be part of a plan by Thaksin's supporters to undermine the Abhisit government in a bid to return their former leader to power. Human Rights Watch’s representative Sunai Pasuk calls it a "two-pronged strategy". According to him, Thaksin's supporters are trying "to discredit the government through the media, in parliament, on the street. The other theatre of Thaksin’s political operations is outside Thailand using Malaysia, Cambodia as well as Dubai to show that the government is not respected."

Analysts say Thaksin’s supporters are trying to weaken the government before the Thai economy starts to fully recover from the recent reecession, and to force Abhisit to call fresh elections in 2010.

Author: Ron Corben
Editor: Grahame Lucas