Cambodian PM says Thailand planning coup against neighbour

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday accused neighbouring Thailand of preparing a coup against his government as the war of words between the neighbouring nations worsened, reported AFP.

Hun Sen said he had seen a secret Thai government document outlining the plan to mount a coup, which he said he had passed to Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni to show the "bad character of our neighbouring leaders".

"In your secret document it says that although the (Thai) foreign ministry does not agree to stage a coup in Cambodia... others are working on it," Hun Sen said.

"Don't even think about it. I know who is doing this," he added, during a speech at a provincial ceremony. The Cambodian premier said he had also seen documents that showed Thailand has considered waging war against its neighbour.

Hun Sen's comments follow the leaking of a document in Thailand last week, written by the Thai foreign minister to premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, in which the worsening relations between the two countries are analysed.

Relations between the countries, which have fought a string of deadly gun battles on their border since last year, plunged last month when fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra became an economic adviser to Cambodia.

Both recalled their ambassadors in November and diplomatic tensions were further raised when Phnom Penh refused to extradite Thaksin during his first visit as adviser last month.

Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup in 2006, is living abroad, mostly in Dubai, to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption handed down by a Thai court in September 2008.

In a related report Thai News Agency said Thailand's Foreign Ministry on Thursday had lodged a complaint with police, charging key leaders of the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) with publicising
confidential documents and libel following a leak of classified materials on relations between Thailand and Cambodia.

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