Phnom Penh, Mar 14: Cambodia will not begin compensating Thailand for a riot that destroyed several
Thai-owned businesses and damaged the Thai embassy in January until each claim is carefully reviewed, a government official said today.
The cash-strapped Cambodian government also is considering ways other than cash to compensate the Thai
government and private businesses for the damage from the January 29 violence, said Prak Sokhonn, an aide to Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Prak Sokhonn, who also chairs a government committee handling the issue, did not elaborate and declined to predict how long the process would take, but indicated it could be
months.
The development is likely to slow the normalization of ties between the two countries, which plunged to their worst level in years after the rioters looted and tried to burn the Thai embassy, and destroyed or damaged almost three dozen Thai-owned businesses.
The rioters were protesting what they believed was a slur against Cambodia's heritage by a Thai television actress.
After the riots, Thailand downgraded diplomatic and economic relations, and ordered border crossings into Cambodia partially closed. It also demanded compensation for the damage.
Bureau Report
