Cambodian, Thai armies not working up for a fight

Army commander-in-chief General Anupong Paochinda said that high-ranking military commanders of the two countries had agreed not to use force.

"We don't need to maintain the current status quo. A bilateral mechanism is being applied to address the problem, and I insist that there will be no fighting in the disputed area, nor will there be any use of force to solve the problem," Anupong said.

He also noted that Second Army Region commander Lt-General Wiwalit Jonsamphan, whose jurisdiction covers the Cambodian border area, had just returned from Siem Riep and Phnom Penh.

Meanwhile, last week, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva advised his Cambodian counterpart to not become a political pawn. The remark came after Hun Sen expressed sympathy for fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and offered to give him asylum.

However, yesterday Anupong declined to comment on former PM General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's recent trip to Cambodia and his announcement upon return that Hun Sen was offering asylum to Thaksin.

Instead, Anupong said, it was the government's duty to deal with the matter and that it would be better if he did "not get involved with it".

The Army boss explained that in his capacity, he could only offer assurances that the situation at the Cambodian borders was "still all right", adding that at a recent meeting in Singapore of Asean army chiefs, there was no display of hostility by his Cambodian counterpart. "We had a usual friendly exchange," he said.