Border issue won't derail polls [:Abhisit and Udomdej Sitabutr]

Border issue won't derail polls [:Abhisit and Udomdej Sitabutr]

29/06/2011
Bangkok Post

The general election will definitely go ahead this Sunday and the long-running border dispute with Cambodia and Thailand's withdrawal from the World Heritage Covention will not derail it, the prime minister and army chiefs reaffirmed on Wednesday.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, the caretaker prime minister, said the border conflict with Cambodia is not a factor that could derail in the July 3 election.

He was speaking campaigning in Samut Sakhon on Wednesday morning, responding reported comments by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, that Thailand would launch an attack across the border into Cambodia and then use the border conflict as a reason to cancel the election.

Mr Abhisit said he did not worry about the border situation because he was confident the Thai military was ready to protect the country.

He said there was no reason for Thai forces to clash with Cambodian soldiers and the election would definitely not be cancelled.

However, he admitted that polling in certain localities could still be postponed for other reasons, but did not explain further.

Hun Sen should not be trying to interfere in Thai politics, he said.

Army Region 1 commander Udomdej Sitabutr took the same tone, insisting that forces under the command of army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha were certain to remain neutral and to fully support the July 3 election.

Lt-Gen Udomdej said he believed that at this stage nobody could derail the election and all, or nearly all, soldiers would go to the polls to cast their individual ballots.

"We have told all army personnel that they have the right to vote for any candidate or party of their choice. What is of high importance is that the monarchy must be safeguarded," he said.

The Army Region 1 commander denied that soldiers had been lobbied to vote for a certain party.

"What we are doing is urging as many as soldiers as possible to exercise their voting right," he said.

Lt-Gen Udomdej expressed concern over possible violence during the last stages of campaigning.

As a preventive measure, Internal Security Operations Command intelligence units have been collecting information and Isoc would inform police if anything suspicious was detected, he said.

He stated that the border dispute has nothing to do with the July 3 election and that the polls will take place as planned.

He also insisted that Thailand has no plan to launch an attack on Cambodia.

“The army chief has made it a clear-cut policy that Thailand will not invade any country first, but if our country is invaded, the armed forces are ready to protect it,” Lt-Gen Udomdej said.

The commander of Army Region 1 said Cambodia had reinforced its infantry along the Thai-Cambodian border but not by many, and the reinforcements had no effect on the Thai armed forces.

He said border trade in Sa Kaew province continues as usual.

Army Region 2 commander Lt-Gen Thawatchai Samutsakhon said no troop reinforcements have been sent to the border with Cambodia, there had been only routine rotation of units.

The 2nd Army Region is responsible for the Northeast down to Prachin Buri which is in the 1st Army Region. The 2nd Army's area includes Preah Vihear.