Thursday May 15, 2008
Thaksin 'wants to open Koh Kong casino'
Cambodia confident of end to Preah Vihear row
JAKKRIT WAEWKRAIHONG & THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Thaksin ****nawatra is interested in developing another casino and
entertainment complex in the Cambodian province of Koh Kong, Cambodian
Defence Minister Teah Banh said yesterday.
Gen Teah Banh, who also is a deputy prime minister with close links to
Thai generals, also expressed confidence about a peaceful solution to
the dispute over the push by Phnom Penh to register Preah Vihear as a
World Heritage Site.
The Cambodian minister said in Koh Kong, opposite Trat, that talks
about Mr Thaksin's plan were still unofficial. ''Prime Minister Hun
Sen trusted and wanted Mr Thaksin to advise on developing Koh Kong as
a special economic zone,'' the general said.
Koh Kong now has a casino complex operated by Koh Kong International,
a firm owned by Pat Supapa, a senator representing the province and
former governor.
The general maintained that the deadlock with Thailand over the Preah
Vihear issue could be resolved and would not explode and compromise
bilateral ties.
Gen Teah Banh was speaking as he joined Hun Sen and Cambodian Deputy
Prime Minister Sok An in opening Road 48 and four new bridges. The
road was built with one billion baht in financial assistance from
Thailand. The Thai side was led by Deputy Prime Minister Somchai
Wongsawat and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama.
The road facilitates the trans****t of goods from Cambodia to Laem
Chabang ****t in Chon Buri through Trat.
Mr Noppadon held talks with Mr Sok An at the temple ruins on the
border of Si Sa Ket and Preah Vihear province.
Mr Noppadon hoped that the Cambodian government would agree to develop
a joint management plan with Thailand on Preah Vihear with a solution
reached within two weeks.
The obstacle to Cambodia's attempt to register Preah Vihear as a World
Heritage Site is the overlapping area around the temple, which has not
been demarcated.
Mr Noppadon said that the talks on Preah Vihear are separate from
negotiations to resolve the overlapping maritime boundary covering
26,000 sq km in the Gulf of Thailand, and there would be no trade-
off.
The two countries have submitted different proposals on how to share
the benefits from the overlapping maritime area believed to be rich in
oil and natural gas.
Thailand and Cambodia signed a memorandum of understanding in 2001 to
start negotiations over the overlapping area. But talks were stalled
after the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh was burned down by rioters in
2003.
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