PRIME MINISTER Paetongtarn Shinawatra this afternoon (June 18) admitted that the a leaked audio clip of her telephone conversation with former Cambodian prime minister and current Senate President Hun Sen is real while criticising him for releasing it and ruling out anymore private chats, Naewna newspaper said.
Asked by reporters that in saying Second Army Region Commander Lt. Gen. Boonsin Phadklang is not one of us is a conversational technique, Paetongtarn explained the meaning was not Lt. Gen. Boonsin not being one of her group but that Thailand and Cambodia are on opposite sides.
She added that she also knows that Hun Sen is angry with Lt. Gen. Boonsin and that she was trying to explain and help him understand.
Asked whether she would now have to mend fences with Lt. Gen. Boonsin, Paetongtarn replied if the army is on the opposite side, why then did she say that she would have to ask the army for their opinion on Hun Sen’s border opening proposition.
Asked about rumours that a second audio clip is going to be released, with this conversation lasting 17 minutes and six seconds and the leaked audio clip being nine and half minutes, as to whether this would cause any problems, especially a fight breaking out within Thailand and whether this appears to be provoking Thais to fight each other, Paetongtarn replied: “I don’t want Thai people to fall for this trick because it is a technique to make people think we are arguing.”
Asked again whether the relationship between the Hun Sen and Shinawatra families has ended, Paetongtarn replied that she did not know, but she would not talk privately anymore because there is a problem of trust.
This kind of conversation should not be released because it is at the level of leaders, she added.
She also said that Hun Sen’s motive is to boost his popularity in his own country regardless of how it will affect international relations and that he had once told her his popularity is slipping.
She had suggested to Hun Sen that the two countries simultaneously fully reopen the border but he replied that Thailand has to reopen fully first and Cambodia would follow suit in five hours’ time.
She then asked to consult the Defence Ministry and would give a reply the next day. However while she was holding talks on this matter Hun Sen posted a message on Facebook saying if Thailand did not reopen the border in 24 hours, Cambodia would close all borders.
CAPTION:
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Amarin TV
Also read: Cambodia cuts off power supply from Thailand, switches to Vietnam
PM orders strict monitoring of Israel-Iran conflict and Thai-Cambodian border
Cambodians dump good jobs in Thailand and take their fridges back home
Bhumjaithai rejects Pheu Thai call for return of interior portfolio
Bhumjaithai told to return interior portfolio within couple of days
