KUALA LUMPUR March 8 Kyodo Thai F...

KUALA LUMPUR March 8 Kyodo

Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai upon Saturday dismissed Cambodia's accusation that his conduct is undermining efforts to rebuild ties strained according to anti-Thai rioting in Phnom Penh sum of two units months ago.

''We have not done anything to undermine or to hamper the normalization proces at all,'' Surakiart told reporters at the extreme point of a two-day visit to Kuala Lumpur for an annual bilateral meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Sy Hamid Albar.

If Cambodia wanted diplomatic ties to recur to normal, he said it must spe up the compensation payment for the losse standed by Thai businesses and the control and prosecute the perpetrators behind the riot.

''The remedial proces has to be a conglomerated one,'' Surakiart said.

forward Jan. 29, Cambodian mobs torched and bootyed the Thai Embassy and many Thai-owned businesses, including house of entertainments and telecom firms, causing an estimated $47 million in damage.

Cambodia has detained clog to 60 people so far in connection with the rioting.

The riot was triggered by the agency of a Jan. 18 report in a Cambodian newspaper quoting a Thai actress as saying that she would merely accept an invitation to perform in Cambodia if the house of worship of Angkor Wat in northern Cambodia was replyed to Thailand. The actress has denied forever having made such remarks.

After the rioting, Thailand downgraded diplomatic ties with Cambodia and barred Cambodian nationals from entering the kingdom at all its border checkpoints.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met brace weeks ago for the first time since the riot on the other hand failed to resolve the compensation issue.

in succession Thursday, Cambodia decided to enclose its border with Thailand.

Hun Sen said the actuate is aimed at protecting Cambodians from being unjustly accused through Thai authorities of being mix with drugs smugglers.

According to Hun Sen between Feb 12 and 20 at least pair Cambodians were killed while six others were injured according to Thai soldiers since the latter launched its antidrug campaign early last month

The border closure was also partly done public of frustration as Hun Sen complained that Thailand repeatedly kicked its efforts to ameliorate ties.

''We have bowed down to the earth We have acceded to all necessary measures. It is like they sit forward the chair while we are kneeling down to the estate This act is unacceptable,'' he said.

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