BANGKOK, Feb 10 — Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Thursday reaffirmed the recent Thai-Cambodian border incidents were military clashes, not real war as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen reportedly said, stressing that bilateral talks were still the best tool for finding a long term solution.

Mr Suthep said the Thai government did not consider the border incident as war but as a military clash along the border. He reasserted that the Thai military has monitored and would take good care of the Thai people.

The attempt to draw a third party into involvement in the disputes was a Cambodian diplomatic strategy, but the Thai government has reiterated that the country wants peace and does not want the conflict to be exaggerated, he said.

MCOT