Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: Reuters

On June 15, Hun Sen, the Prime Minister of Cambodia, confirmed that he had a phone conversation with the Thai Prime Minister. The call, which was conducted with an interpreter, was recorded for transparency and to prevent any misinterpretation. Hun Sen shared this recorded conversation with about 80 senior Cambodian officials, including members of the Senate, political leaders, and the military. He revealed that after the conversation, Thai officials criticized him, calling him "unprofessional."

Hun Sen explained that only a 9-minute portion of the conversation was made public, but he was willing to release the full 17-minute version if Thailand wished to hear it. The purpose of this conversation was to ease tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, particularly regarding their ongoing border dispute. Hun Sen stressed that transparency was necessary for a better understanding between the two countries.

The Thai Prime Minister, Paetongtarn, confirmed that the conversation was genuine and diplomatic. She clarified that it was intended to ease tensions and prevent further conflict. She also emphasized that the conversation had no connection to domestic politics and that there was no dispute with the Thai military. The government was firm on maintaining the country's sovereignty.

Regarding the leaked audio, Paetongtarn commented that the conversation was private and should not have been exposed. She believed the leak was an attempt to gain domestic popularity and confirmed that, due to trust issues, she would not engage in such private talks anymore. She did not want the Thai public to be misled or provoked by these leaks.

During the conversation, Paetongtarn reassured Hun Sen that the remarks made by the Thai military commander were not personal. She explained that they were part of the tensions between the two countries. Paetongtarn urged Hun Sen not to take them personally and explained that the comments were part of private diplomatic discussions. She said that in private talks, she often referred to leaders with familiar terms such as "uncle" and "nephew."

The conversation also included discussions on actions to ease the situation, including the opening of the border gates. Hun Sen suggested opening the gates, but Paetongtarn proposed doing so at the same time as a gesture of peace. However, Hun Sen disagreed, and Thailand could not accept this approach. Paetongtarn explained that Thailand had yet to take action and asked for more time to consult with the Ministry of Defence.

Before their scheduled meeting at Phitsanulok House had concluded, Hun Sen posted on Facebook stating that if Thailand did not open the border within 24 hours, Cambodia would close all the border gates. This left Paetongtarn feeling that the situation was not following their previous discussion. She remained calm and tried to understand what Cambodia truly wanted to resolve the issue peacefully.

Regarding the leak of the conversation, Paetongtarn stated that her comments were intended to clarify the situation. She explained that she wanted to prevent any misunderstanding caused by the military's comments. She emphasized that her goal was to find a peaceful solution and prevent the situation from escalating further.

When asked if future talks with Cambodia would be possible, Paetongtarn expressed uncertainty. She explained that she did not seek to provoke tensions and that private discussions should not have been made public. She added that her intention had always been to de-escalate the situation and avoid creating further conflict.

The Prime Minister also mentioned that Hun Sen had spoken about his declining popularity and suggested that this might have influenced his actions. She hoped that Hun Sen would regain global recognition for his leadership, but she clarified that their discussions were focused on peace, not on boosting anyone’s popularity.

In response to the audio leak, Paetongtarn instructed the Minister of Defence to investigate the matter. She stressed that if any wrongdoing was found, legal actions would be taken. She also urged the media and the public to report on the issue carefully, avoiding any harm to national interests.