FTI concerned with border rally

Writer: BangkokPost.com
Published: 19/09/2009

The yellow-shirt rally near the Thai-Cambodian disputed border in Si Sa Ket province could weaken the bilateral relations between the two countries together with trade and exports in the border area, Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) chairmand Santi Vilassakdanont said on Saturday.

He said the private sector was worried about the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protest in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district because clashes there would affect the confidence of investors.

"Trade and investment between both countries, worth about 70 billion baht a year, would suffer if the situation exacerbates and the border checkpoints have to be closed down," Mr Santi said.

More Thai businesses had invested in Cambodia and some products had to pass through Cambodia before they can be exported to Vietnam and other countries, he said.

He called on the government to closely oversee the situation and the protesters to gather peacefully.

The FTI chairman believed there would be no violence at anti-government rally of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) around Government House after the Internal Security Act had been enforced there.

"If violence erupts, the red-shirt protesters would know they would be at a disadvantage and their image would worsen similar to the red-shirt riot during the Asean summit in Pattaya this April," he said.