BANGKOK, 28 January 2013 Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha denied the military had any role in the shooting of ASTV reporter cars, while also saying any disputes over the Thai-Cambodian border must be resolved through negotiations.
The Army Chief said both sides of the territorial dispute must abide by the rules and regulations. No trespassing will be permitted. He said the military would step up its defense or hold talks if any one found intruding on the overlapping area around the Preah Vihear temple.
The General added that if the situation over the border escalated, the issue would have to be mediated through bilateral or UN talks. As for speculation of army involvement in the shooting of the ASTV reporter cars on Saturday, General Prayuth said the army had nothing to do with the incident.
The C-in-C said the dispute two weeks ago between the army and Manager Media Group, who runs ASTV cable, had ended in peace. General Prayuth reiterated that both sides must respect each other and that he did not support any types of violence. The police are now trying to identify who the culprits are.
