Senate president Hun Sen has strongly criticised reported remarks by Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who was quoted as saying that Cambodian leaders such as Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet would be arrested if they entered Thailand.
Citing a Thai newspaper article, Hun Sen said that if the publication accurately reflected the acting leader’s words, it demonstrated recklessness and a lack of understanding of both customary law and diplomatic protocol.
“If Thailand is in a position to arrest Cambodian leaders, then Cambodia could likewise arrest the Thai leaders who invaded Cambodia and killed our citizens,” he added, accusing the aggressors of violating customary law.
He questioned whether such rhetoric was aimed at fostering trust between the two neighbours or if it instead amounted to a provocation that risked reigniting the tensions which were eased by a recent ceasefire.
