Phnom Penh, Nov 30: Myanmar`s Prime Minister
visited Cambodia, a day after the host country said it
would not support sanctions against its neighbour as
punishment for the military Junta`s recent crackdown.
Hundreds of school children and civil servants were
part of the welcoming committee at Phnom Penh`s airport, where
Prime Minister Lt Gen Thein Sein was greeted by his Cambodian
counterpart, Hun Sen.
Thein Sein`s visit to Cambodia overlaps with a two-day
trip by the UN`s Special Envoy to Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari.
Officials have said the timing of the two visits was
coincidental.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said that
his country supports the "steps taken by Myanmar in
cooperation with the United Nations to seek reconciliation and
democracy in Myanmar."
He told Gambari during a meeting on Thursday that
Myanmar`s ruling Junta should be given incentives instead of
being slapped with sanctions to find a democratic solution to
its political crisis.
"We should not talk about sanctions, but we`d better
talk about how to take the momentum forward and prevent the
situation from sliding backward," Hor Namhong told reporters.
Gambari has been allowed to visit Myanmar twice since
the military`s violent crackdown on pro-democracy
demonstrations in September. He said he had a frank discussion
with the foreign minister, but did not elaborate.
The UN Envoy visited Vietnam earlier this week and is
scheduled to travel to Laos after leaving Cambodia.
Bureau Report
