Thai PM apologises for leaked phone call audio over border dispute with Cambodian leader Hun Sen whereas public resentment growing

The leak of the audio clip is now shaking Thai politics as there is a growing call for her to resign, while more and more coalition parties are departing

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has held a press briefing at Government House today to try to clarify the audio clip of her phone call with Cambodia’s former PM and now President of the Senate, Hun Sen, and offer the public an apology. 

PM Paetongtarn said she had invited security agencies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and relevant agencies to discuss the current situation on the Thai-Cambodian border, but first and foremost, she would like to “apologise” to the Thai people about the audio clip that was leaked during a conversation with the Cambodian leader. This should not have happened, and she wished to apologise to them for causing discomfort.

The PM said she had the opportunity to talk to the commander of the 2nd Army Region and the Army to explain her intention over the talks with Mr. Hun Sen, saying that it was just a “communication tactic” to continue the negotiations. That is, she had to show understanding to Cambodia first in order to be able to discuss the details further and negotiate for the cessation of the military confrontations and clashes.

This, she said, was her “genuine intention” because she wished to see peace. She did not realise that there would be an audio clip recorded and released like this. PM Paetongtarn said she had cleared the issue with the Army already, and it understood her points.

“Today, we must join hands and join forces. So must all Thai people. All sectors in the society have agreed that it (The Cambodian leader’s acts) is a threat to national security. It’s not a small threat, like diverse or different views between the government and the military. 

“Today is not the time to wrangle against each other. We must protect our sovereignty. This is what we have agreed on, and the government is willing to support the military in all forms, no matter what kind of support the military needs, which is what we intend to do together,” said PM Paethongtarn.

PM Paethongtarn also said that when coming out to do something or make decisions, the government must take into account the safety of the Thai people in Cambodia and the people in the border areas, apparently referring to the government’s measures to counter Cambodia’s.

PM Paethongtarn said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates its commitment to peaceful action through bilateral processes, and today it invited the Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand to receive a letter of protest from Thailand to express “deep disappointment” over the Cambodian leader’s acts.

The Prime Minister said that no one in the world would do this. When world leaders talk or negotiate with each other, a recording will not be arranged without their acknowledgement, and an official recording is normally procedural, she said. In her case, she stressed, it’s a private conversation over her phone, therefore an audio recording like this should not be accepted anywhere in the world. 

PM Paetongtarn tried to assure the public, saying that the Thai government and the military would like to show their responsibility in protecting the country’s sovereignty, and that the government and the military are one.

“I want the people to be united with us, to unite the nation, and protect our sovereignty. This is not the time to fight each other,” said PM Paetongtarn. “I apologise for what happened, as I really did not know that the clip was being recorded. I am now aware of it and will be more careful in talking from now on. I am confident that the government and the military are united and we will get through this crisis together strongly,” said PM Paetongtarn in her apparently sober mood.

The leaked phone call

Yesterday, the two versions of the audio clip of PM Paetongtarn’s conversation with Mr. Hun Sen on the phone were released, nine minutes in length, and the full version of 17 minutes in length. Mr. Hun Sen had confirmed on authenticity of the first clip on his FB Page in late morning, which was later disseminated by Cambodia’s Press and Quick Reaction Unit (Press OCM) under the Office of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Information.

He said on the evening of June 15, he had a telephone conversation with PM Paetongtarn that lasted 17 minutes and 6 seconds. His close aide, Khleang Huot, served as the interpreter. As is customary, Mr. Hun Sen said to avoid any misunderstanding or misrepresentation in official matters, it was necessary to record the conversation for “the sake of transparency, including for internal Cambodian purposes”.

He saie he had since shared the audio recording of the conversation between himself and PM Paetongtarn with approximately 80 individuals, including members of the party’s standing committee, Senate working groups, National Assembly teams, the foreign affairs task force, education and outreach units, border affairs groups, and members of the armed forces. 

Among these individuals, he cited, it was possible that someone disapproved of the Thai Prime Minister, suggesting that he or she was the one who had released the clip.

Mr. Hun Sen added that a few hours after the conversation, the Thai PM publicly accused the Cambodian leadership of conducting “unprofessional” politics and engaging in political activity via Facebook, an action which he viewed as contradicting her words.

“Regarding the leaked audio, I have noticed that only around nine minutes of it have been posted publicly. Therefore, if the Thai side wishes to have the full recording, I am prepared to release the entire 17-minute and 6-second audio in its entirety,” Mr. Hun Sen said of the second clip in his FB Page post. (Watch the full audio clip released by Cambodia’s Press OCM)

The leaked audio clip then prompted strong sentiments against PM Paetongtarn and former Cambodian PM Hun Sen. Later in the afternoon, she rushed to hold a press briefing to try to clarify the leaked clip. PM Paetongtarn admitted that it’s authentic, and it’s the negotiation she tried to pacify the confrontation between Thailand and Cambodia. 

In the leaked 9-minute audio clip, which appeared on social media platforms in the late morning and heard by Bangok Tribune, the issue in the conversation between PM Paetongtarn and former Cambodian PM Hun Sen via an interpreter was centred around Thailand’s border control measures and countermeasures imposed afterwards by Cambodia including the cessation of purchases of electricity and internet from Thailand, the ban on Thai dramas, and a latest ultimatum to ban imports of Thai fruits and vegetables. 

Mr. Hun Sen was heard to want the Thai government to remove the measures first, including the closure of the checkpoints, a point which PM Paetongtarn denied as being untrue because the government has not implemented it yet. PM Paetongtarn, on the other hand, wanted both sides to step back from their measures and normalise the situation by announcing it together publicly.

In the first clip before it ended, Mr. Hun Sen was firm on declining the proposal, saying the Thai military had started it first and that Thailand had to make the first move. He was also firm on his stance that this was not a bilateral negotiation. As revealed by the second clip, which followed in the evening, PM Paetongtarn finally agreed with Mr. Hun Sen’s terms, saying she would bring the matter to discuss with the Thai security and let him know the result, and adding that she trusted she could issue an order and manage the matter for him.

In some parts of the conversation, she was heard mentioning the 2nd Army Region Commander and portraying him as aligning with “the opposite side”, and thus his orders on the border measures should not be worth listening to. She was heard aligning herself with Mr. Hun Sen, calling them as “us”. She also spoke in a soft-toned voice and called Mr. Hun Sen as Uncle and presented herself and a niece.

PM Paetongtarn said at the urgent press briefing upon the leak of the audio clip on June 18 that the conversation was private and should not have been released publicly. She said it’s just the tactics in the conversation, and she would no longer discuss the issue in private with Cambodian leaders, as there is an issue of trust. 

She said it’s clear that the ongoing issue between the two countries was all about shoring up the declining popularity of the Cambodian government and Mr. Hun Sen, who does not take the interests of the two countries or their relations into account.

The 2nd Army Region Commander, Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, was reported by some news outlets in response to the situation that he understood what PM Paetongtarn tried to do, and he had no hurt feelings.

“Unacceptable conduct”

Nikorndej Balankura, Director-General of the Department of Information and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a press conference today to elaborate on Thailand’s reaction to the leaked and released audio clips.

He said as there has been public disclosure of a private conversation between the Thai PM and the President of the Senate of Cambodia, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, by the Cambodian side, Thailand views that these actions are “unacceptable conduct” between states.

This, he said, contradicts internationally accepted practices and the spirit of good neighbourliness. It has also undermined the trust and respect between the two Leaders and countries, severely affecting the ongoing efforts of both sides to resolve the problem in good faith.

A Prime Minister is the head of government, regardless of who holds the position, and according to the internationally accepted practices and conduct, such a position is to be respected and honoured, he pointed out.

The ministry, therefore, had summoned the Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand to hand over a protest letter. These actions taken by the Cambodian side are totally unacceptable. It is a breach of diplomatic etiquette, a serious violation of trust, and undermines conduct between two neighbouring countries, Mr. Nikorndej stressed.

“Our actions are carried out with discretion in a formal, cautious, transparent and mature manner, in accordance with diplomatic standards and practices,” said Mr. Nikorndej.

Mr. Nikorndej noted that the Thai government through the MFA has coordinated with relevant agencies to take care of Thai people residing in Cambodia in an orderly manner. The Royal Thai Embassy will be in touch with Thai communities in Cambodia, he said.

“I wish to reiterate once again that this is an issue between Governments and therefore Thailand has no wish that this incident become a misunderstanding between the people of the two countries.

“While Cambodia tends to use communications through social media, aiming to gain popularity among its people and to divide society in both countries. These actions demonstrate their disrespect for the principles of good neighbourliness and should not deserve trust and respect from the international community,” rebuked Mr. Nikorndej on behalf of the Thai government.

Following the leak of the phone call audio, the coalition parties led by the Bhumjaithai Party issued statements expressing their stances against the PM’s action. Bhumjaithai was the first to announce its withdrawal from the government coalition last night, whereas other parties have been discussing the issue seriously at their parties throughout the day, while the public resentment is growing with strong calls for PM Paetongtarn to resign.

Strong protests have been reignited under the name, “Ruam Phalang Phaendin” (The gathering of the motherland’s forces), led by former members of the defunct yellow-coded People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which ever built pressure on the military to conduct the coup that toppled the government of Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006, PM Paetongtarn’s father.

Also read: Thailand not to engage in Cambodia’s new ICJ border dispute case as it reaches the Court/ JBC wrapped without discussions over ongoing border dispute whereas Cambodia submits case to ICJ ahead of JBC wrap-up