Thailand would like more than 60,000 Cambodian refugees now in its territory to

return home so they could vote in the July 26 Cambodian elections, Thai embassy officials

said on Feb 19.

The return of the refugees was one of the issues discussed by Thai Foreign Minister

Surin Pitsuwan in talks in Manila last weekend with Philippine Foreign Secretary

Domingo Siazon and Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas.

"Thailand would like around 64,000 Cambodian refugees to go back home to join

the election," a Thai diplomat said.

Thai Embassy officials said they did not know any specific timetable for the return

of the refugees to Cambodia.

The foreign ministers of Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines said in a statement

on Feb 15 after their Manila meeting that "efforts must be made to allow"

the refugees to go back home and take part in the Cambodian polls. The three ministers

comprise the so-called "troika" which ASEAN set up to find a solution to

the Cambodian conflict. - Reuters