Thailand denies accusation over planned coup in Cambodia

BANGKOK, Dec 25 (TNA) – Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Friday dismissed as groundless an alleged plan to stage a coup in Cambodia, saying the neighbouring country might have received incorrect information from ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Mr Suthep who supervises national security made the remarks after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen accused Thailand of preparing a coup against his government.

Hun Sen was quoted by the Agence France Presse during a speech at a provincial ceremony on Thursday, saying he had seen a secret Thai government document outlining the plan to mount a coup.

“You have outlined bad scenarios, including preparing to wage war against Cambodia,” Hun Sen said.

“The Thai government has never thought of intervention in Cambodian politics and the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is a democracy champion who will never bend on destroying the neighbouring country through other means,” Mr Suthep said.

The deputy prime minister also said he believed the information Cambodia received from ousted prime minister Thaksin and Thailand’s opposition Puea Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan is incorrect and might have misled the Cambodian leader.

Thailand’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday lodged a complaint with police, charging key leaders of the anti-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) with publicising confidential documents and libel following a leak of the ministry’s classified document on relations between Thailand and Cambodia.

The Thai Foreign Ministry will clarify the matter, Mr Suthep said, it is not necessary at this stage to reinforce troops along the border as the conflict between the two neighbouring countries is likely to end soon.

Mr Suthep has just returned from his trip to Indonesia and discussed with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono over rubber prices in the commodity market and other mutual interests.

Thailand and Indonesia are the world’s top and second largest rubber exporters.

The Indonesian president expressed concerns on Thai-Cambodian relations, saying he was ready to cooperate to create understanding between the two countries as Indonesia is also an ASEAN member, but declined to offer itself to mediate the current conflict, according to Mr Suthep. (TNA)