Trying to avoid border troubles

Trying to avoid border troubles

Thailand continues to shelter tens of thousands of Cambodians.
But this drain on our money and human resources may be the least
of the problem on the Khmer border. A confusing and menacing
situation threatens to draw Thailand in.

Prince Norodom Ranariddh returns to Cambodia today (Monday) to
establish his presence for the July elections. Hun Sen supporters
have raised tensions by holding demonstrations against him. It is
entirely moot whether Hun Sen, whose reputation as the godfather
of Cambodia is growing, will allow free elections.

Up on our Cambodian border, Thai forces and citizens face
danger and uncertainty, as do tens of thousands of Khmer
refugees. A strong propaganda campaign from Phnom Penh began last
week to claim that the Khmer Rouge base at Anlong Veng was in
government hands. Although this has proved incorrect, strong
rumors continue to be fanned by the Hun Sen team and its foreign
advisers. As with a similar false campaign last December, many of
the rumors being spread from Phnom Penh center on Khmer Rouge
leaders fleeing toward Thailand.

Thailand confronts the dilemma it has had to face so many
times in the past two decades. On the one hand, it is clear the
country must defend its borders from intruders. As Prime Minister
Chuan Leekpai made clear last week, there can be no further
warnings or simple protests when Burma's (Myanmar's) so-called
Democratic Karen Army crosses our frontier. If anything, it is
time for the premier, who is also defense minister, to take a
stand on these outrageous border incursions.

If Thailand cannot welcome armed attackers, we always have
tried to welcome innocent victims of war. In the past two
decades, well over one million old men, women and children have
sought asylum on Thai soil. Today, the number of Cambodian and
Burmese refugees is approaching 150,000. We continue to provide
food and shelter to these casualties of war, and must continue to
do so.

Thailand must punish, quickly and violently, any further
attack from across the border. Our authorities cannot allow harm
to come to our citizens, nor to refugees. At the same time, we
must not become directly involved in the problems of Burma and
Cambodia.

-- The Bangkok Post