Monday, March 22, 2010

B-41 shell exploded in Bangkok did not come from Cambodia: PQRU

Tith Sothea, mouthpiece of the Council of Ministers' Press and Quick Readion Unit

22 March 2010

By Leang Delux
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer


The Cambodian Council of Ministers rejected the claim made by a Thai Channel 3 TV presenter regarding the explosion of a B-41 shell in Bangkok on Saturday morning. The TV presenter claimed that the shell could be imported from Cambodia. Tith Sothea, the mouthpiece of the Press and Quick Reaction Unit (PQRU) of the Council of Ministers, declared that this comment is baseless and that Bangkok used the news to serve its own political interest.

Cambodia rejected a comment made by Thai Channel 3 TV which indicated that B-41 rocket launchers that were discovered during a armed fight in Bangkok on Saturday morning were imported from Cambodia. This comment displeased Cambodia and earned Cambodia’s reaction.

Tith Sothea, mouthpiece of the Press and Quick Reaction Unity (PQRU) of the Council of Ministers, told reporters on Monday 22 March that the comment made by the Thai Channel 3 TV does not have clear basis, and that it was intended to incite, disrupt relationships and create tensions between the two countries.

Tith Sothea added that any country can have B-41 rocket launchers, and even Thailand itself owns numerous of them. He indicated that Thailand used to provide guns and refuge to third-parties to attack the Cambodian government [most likely referring the anti-Vietnamese fights during the 80s].

Tith Sothea indicated that the Abhisit government always used propaganda to fool the national and international opinion, in particular, by linking its problems with Cambodia.

Tith Sothea said that Thailand has a strict law to prevent flow of armaments and drugs into Thailand. In fact, according to Thai news media from the end of last week, Thai border police have tightened the checking on Cambodians who crossed over to Thailand under the present circumstance whereby the Red Shirts are demonstrating in Bangkok.

The Thai news media quoted Thai border police in Aranyaprathet, Sa Kaeo province, as saying that special forces are strengthening the border checking, including body patting, in order to prevent the transport of armaments and drugs into Thailand.

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