Cambodian Navy Rejects Thai Allegations

Written by DAP NEWS -- Friday, 21 August 2009 03:25

High ranking Cambodian officials on Thursday rejected Thai allegations that a Cambodian navy patrol entered a disputed maritime area near Koh Kut in Trat province. “We do not accept the Thai claim,” Tear Vinh told DAP News Cambodia on Thursday. “We will take measures as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said, but everything is in our area.” “If any party looks down us, we will respond,” he added. A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation told DAP News Cambodia that “So far, we have not seen any strongly-worded protest yet from the Thai party.” “We will make an investigation if this take place, but our Cambodian navy personnel told us that they did not cross the Thai border,” Kuy Koung added. The Thai Defense Ministry plans a strongly-worded protest over a claimed crossing into a disputed maritime area near Koh Kut in Trat province by a Cambodian patrol, Thursday’s Bangkok Post reported. The protest will be lodged to the Foreign Ministry. “Two Cambodian warships were seen patrolling in the disputed area last week,” said Bangkok Post. “[Our] source said that the Cambodian patrol was probably in respond to the Thai navy’s move to set up a new base on Koh Kut to reinforce its patrol missions following a report that Cambodia had allowed a French oil company to carry out surveys in the disputed area.”

Last Updated on Friday, 21 August 2009 03:27