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Thai PM welcomes Cambodian apology
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has given a cautious welcome to Cambodian efforts at patching up ties following last week's anti-Thai riots in Phnom Penh. But the Thai leader said relations between the two Southeast Asian countries would take time to repair. "The first step is that the Cambodian government has expressed sincerity to apologize for what happened," Thaksin told reporters after meeting with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong Tuesday. The minister was on a fence-mending mission and had bought with him a personal letter of apology from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Thaksin said after the meeting that he had sent a message back to the Cambodian leader expressing sympathy over what happened. "I also thank him for admitting fault and agreeing to pay for the damage in a gentlemanly manner," Thaksin said. Thailand has laid out three key demands as a condition for mending relations with Cambodia, saying it wants: • a full explanation of the causes of the rioting. • full compensation to the Thai government and owners of affected Thai businesses. • punishment for those responsible for the violence. Thailand downgraded diplomatic ties, suspended technical and economic cooperation and closed its border with its eastern neighbor in the wake of last Wednesday's riots. National icon
The trouble was sparked by comments allegedly made by a Thai actress over the ownership of the famed ancient city of Angkor, Cambodia's greatest cultural relic and national symbol. The actress, popular TV star Suwanna "Kob" Konying, was alleged to have said the temple complex should belong to Thailand and had been stolen by Cambodia. She has denied making any such comments and has since gone into hiding. The comments were however reported as fact in Cambodian media, causing hundreds of angry protesters to mass outside the Thai embassy last Wednesday. Several protesters stormed the compound, ransacking the building and forcing embassy staff to flee over a back fence. Repair billAfter meeting the Thai prime minister, the Cambodian envoy then went on to an audience with Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej. There he presented another letter from Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk. "My visit show the willingness of the Cambodian government and our people to normalize ties as soon as possible with Thailand," Hor Namhong told reporters earlier in the day before beginning his trip. Thai officials who visited Phnom Penh Tuesday said they estimate the repair bill to come to just under $47 million. The Cambodian government has already said that figure is too high, a sign that resolving the issue will likely take some time yet. Returning to Bangkok late Tuesday, the head of the Thai delegation Bandhit Sotipalalit said Cambodia had agreed to pay compensation, but the exact figure would be subject to negotiations. The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.
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