DEFENCE Minister Nattapol Nakphanit today (Oct. 2) denied that China supplied weapons to Cambodia just a few weeks before the border clash with Thailand erupted towards the end of July as reported by The New York Times, Amarin TV said.
He dismissed this report claiming that China sent rockets and artillery shells to Cambodia over three days in June as old rumours with intelligence agencies confirming this is the case.
It is publicly known that China did supply weapons to Cambodia in February this year but that was before the conflict between the two countries broke out.
Gen. Nattapol said he is confident China would carefully consider supplying additional arms to Cambodia amid the current border tensions with the ministry not having received any reports of Beijing having done so.
Asked about the possibility of Chinese weapons being sent to Cambodia for a joint military exercise and not yet returned, Gen. Nattapol said this could be part of it but Cambodia has not released any information to confirm it,
Thailand is on a different footing because while the neighbouring country does not release any information on its stockpile of weapons, all the information about Thailand’s arms is revealed during questioning at Parliament leading to Cambodia getting to know everything.
Asked whether a Thai-Cambodia war could erupt, the Defence Minister said there are two sides to this matter because while Thailand adheres to peaceful means of resolving problems and seeks bilateral negotiations, Cambodia on the other hand is ready to fight while negotiating.
According to The New York Times report, Chinese military planes touched down in Cambodia over three days in June, weeks before the simmering border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand exploded into war.
The aircraft were Y-20s, known as Chubby Girls in China for their wide body and ability to carry heavy cargo. They made six flights to the southwestern city of Sihanoukville, bringing rockets, artillery shells and mortars, according to Thai intelligence documents reviewed by The New York Times, a shipment that has not been previously reported.
The Chinese weapons were packed into 42 containers and stored at the nearby Ream Naval Base, the documents said. Days later, Chinese-made ammunition was moved from the base hundreds of miles to the north, to Cambodia’s contested border with Thailand, according to the documents.
Asked for comment on the Thai intelligence reports, a senior Cambodian official did not deny many of the basic details about the shipment.
CAPTION:
Top and Front Page: Defence Minister Gen. Nattapol Nakphanit, right, and Thai troops with arms and a war plane flying overhead, left. Credit – Amarin TV
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