Solve Thai-Cambodia Dispute Bilaterally: SBY

President Yudhoyono addressed the ongoing tensions between Thailand and Cambodia before heading home from the APEC summit in Singapore on Monday, saying the two Asean countries should solve their border conflict bilaterally without referring it to an Asean forum.

Yudhoyono was speaking at the Marina Mandarin Hotel in Singapore on Monday morning before returning to Jakarta after attending a series of APEC meetings.

“In my opinion, there are still opportunities for Thailand and Cambodia to solve their border issue bilaterally, and our foreign affairs minister will maintain communication with his Thai and Cambodian counterparts about the matter.”

Therefore, he said, Indonesia would wait and see how things between Thailand and Cambodia developed while hoping they could eventually find the best possible way out of their dispute.

“Then, whenever in their discussions they agree there is something positive, other ASEAN countries can contribute. We will certainly be ready to do so,” Yudhoyono said.

He said he had met and talked to both Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen separately on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Singapore.

“I don’t want to take any further steps because I met with the Thai and Cambodian prime ministers in a friendly atmosphere,” Yudhoyono said.

“I said it’s better for the two leaders to overcome the problem bilaterally without bringing it to an ASEAN forum or to make it an international issue because it would not be good for ASEAN as a whole.”

Tensions on the border between Thailand and Cambodia have existed for some years but the situation worsened last year over disputed territory in the vicinity of the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

The dispute led to violence last April when soldiers of the two countries clashed twice near the temple, resulting in the deaths of two Thai soldiers and two Cambodian soldiers . Nine Thai soldiers were wounded. Antara

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