PM says statue issue can’t compare to soldiers’ lives after India condemns removal

Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday, December 25, that the public should wait for the outcome of the General Border Committee (GBC) secretariat-level meeting between Thailand and Cambodia in Chanthaburi province, noting there were still three days of talks to go.

He said the first day of discussions, on December 24, was essentially the start of the process, likening it to an initial greeting. Responding to media reports that the two sides met briefly and left the meeting room expressionless, he said: “Who could be laughing all day?”

Asked whether Cambodia had raised security concerns, Anutin rejected the suggestion, saying the meeting was being held in a border area and both sides had shown goodwill. He added that the venue had been agreed by all parties.

Anutin said Thailand remained firm that the talks would proceed through a bilateral mechanism, in line with the National Security Council (NSC) framework, and insisted there was no plan to move negotiations to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

On expectations for the meeting, he said he had already heard Thailand’s proposed framework from the country’s representatives, but stressed that the process and negotiating approach should be left to the team on the ground.

Asked about a statement by an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson criticising the reported removal of a Hindu deity statue in the Chong An Ma area — described as a statue of Vishnu — Anutin said he had not yet received a report on the matter.

He said it was an issue to be handled through bilateral discussions under the NSC framework, and Thailand should not be shaken by matters outside that framework.

He added that the statue issue should not be weighed against the reality faced by soldiers in the conflict, saying it was not something he would compare with the loss and harm endured by troops.

On confusion surrounding Cambodia’s communications — after reports that its Defence Ministry had sent a letter seeking a ceasefire through the GBC mechanism before later denying it — Anutin said actions on the ground mattered more than what was written, arguing Thailand was responding to attacks and acting within the rules of engagement.

He said once the GBC talks concluded, both sides would follow the agreed outcomes under joint committees and, if negotiations were successful, the defence ministers of both countries would travel to sign an agreement.

He said he hoped that if a deal was signed this time, Cambodia would keep its commitments so that no further problems would arise.