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2009-11-08
By SOPHENG CHEANG
Associated Press

Cambodia's prime minister said Sunday that Thailand's fugitive ex-leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, will visit the country to make a speech to economists, an event bound to inflame a worsening diplomatic row between the neighbors.

Thaksin was named an economic adviser to the Cambodian government last week. Thailand responded by recalling its ambassador, with Cambodia then following suit.

Hun Sen's embrace of Thaksin - who was ousted in a 2006 military coup and is a deeply divisive figure in Thailand - follows a border dispute that has led to several small but deadly military skirmishes over the past year.

Showing no attempt to make amends, Hun Sen directed his message to current Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

"I would like to inform Abhisit that on Nov. 12, Thaksin will give a lecture to over 300 Cambodian economists," Hun Sen told reporters at the Phnom Penh airport after returning from a trip to Tokyo for a meeting of regional leaders that included Thailand. At the meeting, Hun Sen and Abhisit were photographed keeping a distance from each other.

Hun Sen refused to say exactly when Thaksin would arrive in Cambodia.

The diplomatic tensions are closely tied to an ongoing political struggle in Thailand, where Thaksin is at the center of a political crisis and street protests that have gripped the country since 2006.

Thaksin was deposed for alleged massive corruption and other charges. His supporters say he should be pardoned and returned to power. Since the coup, Thaksin has lived abroad to escape a corruption conviction and two-year prison sentence.

"Thaksin is not a criminal, he is not a terrorist," Hun Sen said. "He is purely a political victim."

Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon, had substantial business interests in Cambodia and was accused of pursuing special deals there for his family-controlled conglomerate while prime minister.

Thaksin served two terms as prime minister from 2001 to 2006. He retains huge popularity among his rural poor power base who have staged frequent rallies calling for his return to power. But he is reviled by many in the educated urban elite, who led months of street protests ahead of the coup and again when Thaksin's allies briefly retook power.

Thaksin has recently been based in Dubai but has traveled extensively in Africa, Latin America and Asia.