Thailand not pull out of talks with Cambodia : [Thai] PM [-Does Thailand even know what it is doing?]

Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Wednesday denied reports that Thailand pulled out of planned ceasefire talk with Cambodia, saying Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan is engaged with a foreign trip.

Abhisit said that Thailand will make a new appointment with Cambodia to talk about the ceasefire with Cambodia's Defence Minister Gen Tea Banh when Prawit comes back from China.

Abhisit was speaking during a visit to Surin province to visit people affected by skirmish between Thai and Cambodian troops. The visit was not scheduled.

The battles that started on April 22 killed at least 13 Thai soldiers. Both sides blame each other for starting the fighting.

Meanwhile Prawit said his trip to China is planned long time ago. Earlier report said that Prawit would travel to Phnom Penh today to hold talks with Tea Banh in an attempt to cease the ongoing border fightings between both troops.

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Thailand needs to reconsider its position

April 27, 2011
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

So, if Thailand has nothing to hide, having foreign observers at the border to monitor a cease-fire should not be a worry.

The latest border skirmish between Thailand and Cambodia at Ta Mouan Thom temple is solid proof that Abhisit Vejjajiva's foreign policy and diplomatic skill towards Cambodia are absolutely wrong and have failed to help bring peace with its neighbour.

Many soldiers and civilians have lost their lives in recent years since Thailand opposed Cambodia's plan to get World Heritage listing for the Preah Vihear temple in 2008.

The latest clash at Ta Mouan and Ta Kwai (known in Cambodia as Ta Krabei), some 150km west of Preah Vihear, is just an extension of the conflict in February, which was caused by Cambodian disappointment at Abhisit's policy.

The issue became complicated and very difficult to resolve as the current Thai government mixed everything up. Thailand and Cambodia's conflict these days are a combination of boundary issues, military arrangements at the border, management of the World Heritage plan, as well as local and international politics.

The root cause of the problem began when Abhisit's government linked the World Heritage management plan with boundary demarcation of areas near to the temple. This government would use all means to block the management plan for Preah Vihear if demarcation of the boundary is not completed.

But even a schoolboy knows that boundary demarcation is time-consuming work and it could be separated from the management of World Heritage property. Legal experts agree that World Heritage listing should not cause Thailand to lose rights of sovereignty over territory adjacent to the temple - if that land really belongs to this country.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen also knows that Abhisit wants to use this issue to delay his plan for Preah Vihear.

Abhisit has felt compelled to do this, as he has been pressured by conservative and nationalist groups, which have camped near his office for months now.

A plan to make permanent peace at the border was also deferred because the Thai military hesitated to receive Indonesian observers at the border. The government has stalled on this since it agreed to the proposal in February. No observer from Indonesia has set a foot on the ground since the last clash at Preah Vihear in February.

Perhaps it's too shallow to think that Cambodia attacked Thailand simply because it wants to 'internationalise' the conflict. Would anybody think twice on why Phnom Penh might want to do this? And why Thailand was so scared of a multilateral forum wanting to resolve the problem?

Abhisit insists from time to time that existing bilateral mechanisms should be used to strike a deal with Cambodia over the conflict - as though he never knew that such a method would be ineffective at settling a contemporary dispute.

It sounds very naive to call local commanders on both sides for a ceasefire when everybody knows that only Prime Minister Hun Sen can make such a decision. So the question is why doesn't Abhisit, as head of government, call his Cambodian counterpart to get a ceasefire?

If the government has no diplomatic capacity to convince Cambodian leaders to settle the conflict, the only option is for an acceptable third party. So, if Thailand has nothing to hide, having foreign observers at the border to monitor a cease-fire should not be a worry.

In this context, Asean, which is now chaired by Indonesia, is available and ready to enhance its role in solving the problem for its two member states.

Phnom Penh is also ready to comply with Asean's line, as it called for observers. But the problem has been on our side.

Time is running out and the situation is escalating. Perhaps the original plan to dispatch only 15 Indonesian observers on each side is not enough now. If Thailand wants to limit the size of the problem and find a solution, it needs to adjust its position and make a decision now.

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Asean must show its worth as a regional authority

April 27, 2011
The Nation

Editorial

As the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia drags on, the regional grouping should give full support to Indonesian observers

In less than two weeks, Indonesia will host the first of a series of high-profile summit meetings over the next seven months before its Asean chairmanship ends. It is within this short time frame that Indonesia's leadership credentials in the regional grouping will be tested.

Jakarta has set out with a very big ambition to transform Asean into a global game-changer - something no other Asean member has so far dared to think of. Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa offers hope to the new Asean because of his intellect and vitality. Indonesia's move to forge a more integrated and significant Asean also occurs at a time when there is a domestic consolidation of democracy and steady economic progress.

For the past few months, the world's third largest democracy has been trying to pursue several objectives set forth at the beginning of the year. One of them is to prepare Asean for the 2015 deadline for regional economic integration. Asean aims to be a single economic community with over 700 million citizens by that date. Indonesia - now an emerging global player - wants to ensure that Asean will not be left behind and that the grouping's voice will be heard on the international stage.

However, the ongoing dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is threatening the leadership credentials of the current Asean chair and its overall outlook.

Since February, and following deliberations by the UN Security Council, Indonesia has been tasked by the Asean foreign ministers with finding a solution to ensure a permanent ceasefire on the Thai-Cambodian border. Overall progress has been slow. But Jakarta knew full well that this would be the case before it took up the challenge. Indeed, there is nothing new in such time-consuming diplomatic efforts within the Asean mindset. To be fair, it is not the fault of the chair either. In Asean, nothing moves forward if there is no consensus. Political will among the member countries and their leaders is the most important ingredient in ending an international deadlock involving Asean members. That explains why sometimes it is so frustrating to see members, for their own benefit, exploiting each other without thinking of Asean's wider interests.

Both Thailand and Cambodia have to work harder to help the Asean chair in its peace mission. Otherwise, Indonesia's greater ambition for the grouping could be easily wrecked.

The renewed fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops on the border this week does not augur well at all for the overall solidarity of Asean or Indonesia's ongoing facilitation process and wider goals. Thailand must finalise its terms of reference as soon as possible concerning the stationing of the Indonesian observers at the border. The Thai Army has dragged its feet for too long. Certainly, when it comes to national sovereignty, the Thai Army is very conservative and sensitive, especially where the presence of outside observers is concerned.

Cambodia, under strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen, has been a one-stop decision country in this affair - which has proved to be its best bargaining and PR asset. Civil society and media in Cambodia do not have the kind of freedoms enjoyed by their neighbours to the west. Hun Sen's words are final. No questions are asked or comments made. It is not wrong to say he has been the region's most active leader in engaging Asean in every aspect.

It remains to be seen how Asean members will respond to Hun Sen's suggestion that the grouping should get involved more in intra-Asean conflicts - something that would change the very nature of Asean since its inauguration. Cambodia, which succeeds Indonesia as chair next year, will certainly seek to enhance its regional role and prestige through such an agenda.

It is in the grouping's common interest to support Indonesia as chair, as it will propel the grouping to the next level. An Asean that is in tune with global changes and settings will benefit the whole regional community.

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The [Thai] armed forces are servants, not masters [-But the servants are the ones who put the masters in power in Thailand]

April 12, 2011
The Nation

Opinion

Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon has rejected claims that Thailand used cluster bombs in breach of an international agreement during border clashes with Cambodia in early February.

Fine; we should never use these weapons, which are such a major threat to civilians that 107 countries have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, banning their use.

But Thai ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Sihasak Phuangkertkeow, reveals that the Foreign Ministry is encouraging the Army to sign the convention so Thailand can receive assistance to destroy these bombs.

The Army should not be the decision-maker. The armed forces should not again follow Mao Tse-Tung's principle, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." Rather they should follow their oath and obey the orders of the duly elected government. It is we the people, acting through our elected representatives, who should be in charge - not the military. Give the soldiers' point of view a fair hearing, then if the government holds that it is in our country's interests to sign the convention, do it.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Thailand agrees to send representative to JBC meeting

April 5, 2011
By Nuntida Puangthong, Piyanart Srivalo
The Nation

Asda Jayanama, chief of the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), will be representing Thailand at the JBC meeting in Indonesia later this week, though it is unlikely that the leader of the General Border Commission (GBC) will go.

Asda will attend the meeting in Bogor on Thursday and Friday, even though the Parliament is refusing to consider minutes of the previous JBC meetings, secretary to the foreign minister, Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, said.

The JBC, which oversees land demarcation between Thailand and Cambodia, faced controversy when the parliament hesitated to consider the minutes of its previous three meetings. The lawmakers are still unclear on whether the minutes need to be passed before JBC meets again, while the Constitution Court refused last week to rule on the need of the Parliament to approve such documents. The issue is still pending.

To avoid legal consequences, no documents will be signed at the upcoming meeting, Chavanond said, adding that the officials would only review progress of the previous work and focus on topics that do not involve changes to the boundary. Basically, the meeting would discuss which agency should be put in charge of taking aerial photographs for boundary survey and demarcation, he said.

As Asean chair, Indonesia facilitated meetings between Thailand and Cambodia after a border skirmish in February claimed several lives on both sides. Asean has been planning to dispatch Indonesian observers to the disputed areas adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple, but the plan has not materialised yet because the Thai military is reluctant to let them in.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday that Thailand would not discuss the observation plans in the upcoming meeting. The issue would first have to be discussed among various concerned agencies, including the Foreign and Defence ministries, he said.

At a meeting yesterday, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told Abhisit that he - as co-chair of the GBC - would not attend the meeting in Indonesia because talks on the issue should be held in Cambodia or Thailand, not a third country.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said last week that his country was ready to attend both JBC and GBC meetings in Indonesia though Thailand was sending mixed signals.

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Uncertainty over Thai-Cambodian meeting in Indonesia

via CAAI

By The Nation
Published on March 24, 2011

A meeting between Thailand and Cambodia on boundary affairs in Indonesia next month is in limbo as the Thai military and Foreign Ministry remain deeply divided over the issue.

Meanwhile, the government is struggling to have Parliament pass the documents necessary for the meeting to take place.

Indonesia, as the chair of Asean, called meetings of the Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC) and Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) on April 7-8 in Indonesia.

The arrangement was part of a deal to settle the boundary conflict between the two neighbours. The agreement included a plan to dispatch Indonesian observers to the disputed area adjacent to the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear.

Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha set a prerequisite that Thailand would not allow the observation before a discussion between Thailand and Cambodia in the GBC.

However the army chief said the GBC should take place in Cambodia as initially planned, rather than in any third country.

"We have proposed that Cambodia should call the GBC meeting as soon as possible. If Cambodia cannot host the meeting in Cambodia, the meeting should be held in Thailand," Prayuth told reporters.

Co-chaired by defence ministers of the two countries, the GBC is a bilateral mechanism to handle general border affairs, including security arrangements.

Reports have emerged that Prayuth and Defence Minister Prawit will boycott the GBC meeting in Indonesia, though Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi has claimed such reports are false. The foreign ministry is coordinating over details of the meeting with the military, he said.

The JBC, which takes care of boundary demarcation, has its own problems.

Parliament has not yet passed three documents to enable it to have the next meeting.

The House is scheduled to consider the JBC's meeting minutes on Friday, according to House Speaker Chai Chidchob. The meeting will go on as scheduled, although the nationalist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has threatened to surround the Parliament compound on the day, he said.

The yellow-shirted PAD has vowed to block consideration of the JBC's documents as it does not want the JBC to resume its negotiations on boundary demarcation.

Thailand will lose territory, notably around Preah Vihear, if the JBC negotiates with Cambodia based on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in 2000, the PAD says.

They are concerned that the MOU recognised a French-made 1:200000 map of the area, which indicates Preah Vihear and its vicinity are under sovereignty of Cambodia.

Based on the map, the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear is situated in territory under sovereignty of Cambodia.

Thailand complied with the ruling but returned only the ruined temple to Cambodia, claiming the surrounding area belongs to Thailand.

The PAD wants the government to scrap the MOU and use military force to kick Cambodians out of the disputed area.

Thai and Cambodian troops clashed from February 4-7 near the Hindu temple. The border skirmish claimed at least 10 lives, including three civilians on both sides.

Cambodia subsequently succeeded in bringing the issue to the attention of the United Nations Security Council and Asean.

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Thailand wants talks wIth CambodIa on observers

March 10, 2011
The Nation

Thailand wants to discuss plans for Indonesian observation of the border conflict with Cambodia during boundary committee meetings in Indonesia later this month, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

As Asean chair, Indonesia has proposed hosting the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) on demarcation and the General Border Committee (GBC) in Bogor from March 24-25.

Cambodia has said it agrees to the proposal and will attend the meetings of the two bodies.

Phnom Penh insisted the meetings could not be bilateral discussions between the two parties, asking for Indonesia to act as a "referee" over the matter.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said Thailand regarded the meetings as bilateral although Indonesia would observe proceedings.

Thailand wants discussions on the terms of reference (TOR) for Indonesian observers on the border between the two countries at the disputed area adjacent to the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear, he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Thailand was ready to discuss the border matter with Cambodia and hoped the border meetings in Indonesia could ease border tension.

"But we have to look at the form of the meetings since there will be a third country to engage with the issue," he said.

"The JBC and GBC have their own mechanisms but it would be no problem if anybody sat in as a witness," he said. "Indonesia, as the chair of Asean, will acknowledge the meetings but it will not intervene in the content of the meetings."

Thailand and Cambodia have long been at loggerheads over the boundary issue. The latest clashes took place from February 4-7 and claimed around 10 lives including three civilians on both sides.

Cambodia brought up the issue with the United Nations Security Council and Asean last month.

The UN urged Asean to enforce a "permanent ceasefire" at the border areas. Indonesia came up with a plan to dispatch observers to the disputed border. The TOR has been sent to the two for consideration. Phnom Penh has agreed to the terms, though Thailand is still studying them.

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Foot-dragging puts Thailand at a disadvantage

via CAAI

By The Nation

Published on March 8, 2011

The government has been too slow to respond to initiatives to resolve the border dispute, leaving Cambodia with the moral high ground

Thailand needs to do a lot more work if it really wants to settle the border conflict with Cambodia over the area adjacent to the Preah Vihear Temple. The slow pace of implementation of Indonesia's proposed "peace plan" not only obstructs the peace process but also makes Thailand lose international credibility.

Like it or not, the boundary dispute between the neighbouring countries has already been internationalised, as Phnom Penh has managed to bring it to an urgent discussion at the United Nations Security Council and later at the informal meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers last month.

Cambodia went on the offensive, going to the two international forums with clear objectives to have a third party involved in the boundary conflict resolution. Thailand, under the leadership of Prime Minister AbhisitVejjajiva, has sat defensively without any clear plan.

Phnom Penh said at the UN Security Council meeting on February 14 it wanted a "permanent cease-fire" solution, and the New York meeting finally urged Asean to implement such a plan. Cambodia joined the Asean meeting in Jakarta on February 22 with a call to have Asean observers monitor the implementation of the permanent cease-fire in the areas around Preah Vihear. Indonesia, as the Asean chair, acceded to what Phnom Penh wanted, proposing to dispatch Indonesian observers to assess the situation in the disputed areas.

Thailand, on the other hand, has stuck only with its preference for the so-called "bilateral mechanism" to help solve the dispute. Of course, the international forums recognise that the two countries have many bilateral mechanisms to handle all kinds of issues, including the border, and urged both sides to utilise these mechanisms in this regard. Indonesia agreed to help facilitate them.

The problem is that none of the bilateral mechanisms have begun their work, and Thailand appears to be dragging its feet. Meanwhile the international engagements have begun to materialise. Indonesia has already outlined the modality and sent it to Thailand and Cambodia for consideration. Phnom Penh has replied to Jakarta that it agrees with the terms of reference for the observation of the border, but Thailand is still studying the documents.

Cambodia has taken the lead by moving quickly to shut down Thailand's effort to use bilateral channels to solve the dispute. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen urged Jakarta to quickly dispatch the observers to Preah Vihear, and Cambodia will not discuss the issue in depth with Thailand without Asean or Indonesian engagement. Hun Sen wants Indonesia as a referee for negotiation with Thailand. For Hun Sen, normal bilateral talks no longer exist.

Thailand can blame nobody but itself for its lack of diplomatic skill and its domestic politics that are interfering with an international issue. Prime Minister Abhisit has allowed his political conflict with the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy to stall the Joint Boundary Committee's (JBC) work. The JBC, which oversees land boundary demarcation, has not convened a meeting since April 2009 due to the government's hesitation. It is ridiculous to ask Cambodia to sit down at this stage when the JBC mechanism is unworkable.

Thailand now has no other option but to play along with the game rules set by Cambodia. It must allow Indonesia, as the chair of Asean, to become engaged in the resolution process. The government needs to make a quick decision on the modality (form of procedure) for the Indonesian observers. The modality can be modified but Thailand has no right to reject it, since the government has already been forced to agree in principle to it.

Bilateral instruments remain but they will not be the same, as they now require Jakarta's facilitation. An urgent task for the Abhisit government is to move ahead by having Parliament pass the JBC documents in order to allow the mechanism to resume its work. Rather than continue with the rhetoric about Cambodia coming back to the bilateral meetings, Thailand should prove that the bilateral instruments actually exist and can work.

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UNESCO special envoy supports bilateral talks to defuse Thai-Cambodian border dispute

via CAAI

BANGKOK, Feb 25 -- The visiting United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) special envoy on Preah Vihear temple Koichiro Matsuura met Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and said he supported the bilateral talks between Thailand and Cambodia to solve border disputes.

Mr Abhisit told reporters after meeting with Mr Matsuura for 45 minutes at Government House that UNESCO had expressed its support to the bilateral talks and would not visit the Preah Vihear temple, a flash point of the conflict between the two countries.

The premier said he believed the tension would be eased at certain level and UNESCO said there should be conclusion on the 4.6 square kilometre contested area near Preah Vihear temple before going to the next step of a management plan for the ancient temple which was listed as a World Heritage Site.

Thailand and Cambodia agreed not to add more problems in the area and UNESCO believes that the problem should be settled before June, whe the World Heritage Committee will meet in Bahrain.

The ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, earlier this week agreed that Thailand and Cambodia should use a bilateral mechanism to end their border conflict, including the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), the General Border Committee (GBC) and the Regional Border Committee (RBC).

The JBC is expected to be held in March in Indonesia.

Earlier, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya on Friday met Mr Matsuura, who admitted that [agreeing and implementing] a management plan for the ancient temple would be difficult in the current situation, according to Thai foreign ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi.

Mr Thani, Foreign Ministry Director-General of the Department of Information, said Mr Kasit has taken this opportunity to provide the envoy with the facts relating to the recent border clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops.

Mr Matsuura, a former director-general of UNESCO (1999-2009) and a former chairman of the World Heritage Committee (1999), was appointed by Director General Irina Bokova to discuss with Thailand and Cambodia measures to safeguard the temple, which was listed as a World Heritage site in 2008.

The UNESCO delegation will fly to Phnom Penh on Sunday for talks with Cambodian officials on ways of reducing tension and promoting dialogue on the preservation of the temple.

Tension along the Thai-Cambodian border was renewed after clashes between soldiers of the two countries erupted near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on Feb 4, leading to casualties among troops and civilians of both sides, as well as forcing the evacuation of villagers living in and on both sides of the disputed area. (MCOT online news)

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Thailand bought 6 Swedish Gripens fighter jets ... is it to threaten Cambodia?

[Thai] Pilots itching to fly latest Gripens, seen as a new force in the region

February 23, 2011
The Nation

After a long wait for the much-heralded Swedish-made Gripen jet fighters to be commissioned, Royal Thai Air Force pilots are now itching to fly the new aircraft that will replace vintage F-5 fighters.

The Gripen, with the designated code of JAS-39 C/D, has technological advantages 30 years ahead of even the US-made F-16 fighters, the newest aircraft in the RTAF, according to Wing Cmdr Natthawut Duangsoongnern.

One of six pilots who underwent the basic flight course on the Gripen, Natthawut said: "The RTAF's addition of Gripen is a significant addition to air power in the region."

With full use of its support systems, including weaponry and air defence, Gripen is regarded as a fighter of the future, said Natthawut, who with five other pilots was selected from more than 20 with F-5 and F-16 flying experience.

Wing Cmdr Jakkrit Thammawichai is commander of Wing 701 in Surat Thani where the first six Gripen will be stationed. He said another six Gripen jets and their support systems would be handed to Thailand later.

Four of the fighters are two-seaters for training, while the other eight, the C model, are one-seaters.The RTAF purchase of Gripens provides not only the fighter jets, but also an entire support system that includes technology transfer and scholarship and supplementary training in advanced technology.

With real-time data links through encryption among all jets, the Gripen is superior to other fighters that have equivalent technology, meaning that the Gripen can fight or defeat enemy fighters at a ratio of one to four, or even one to eight.

"This well explains why we don't need to employ them in large numbers," he said.

Unlike deployment of mainly US-made fighters, in which technology regarding electronics warfare has been classified, Gripen offers open training including electronic countermeasures.

"This means we can stand on our own in terms of mastering difficult and advanced technologies. This is a great leap forward for the RTAF," he said.

The six pilots will train another four after they fully complete entire courses.

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Hun Sen bully boy: Kasit [-Kasit is becoming paranoid?]

Wednesday, February 09, 2011
The Nation

Kasit labels Cambodian PM as bully boy, expresses suspicion Russia, India, China behind Cambodia's aggressiveness

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya Wednesday called Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen a bully boy who launched attacks against Thailand with hope to seize control of the disputed plot near Preah Vihear Temple.

Kasit was speaking at a seminar on Thai-Cambodian relationship at Parliament held by the Senate committee on foreign affairs.

Kasit told the seminar that the conflicts between the two countries happened because the Cambodian government incited hatred among its people towards Thailand.

Click to Read More ...

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ANALYSIS: Domestic politics muddy Thai-Cambodian border spat

Feb 9, 2011
By Peter Janssen and Robert Carmichael
DPA

Hun Sen might also be under pressure to speed up the Thai-Cambodian border conflict for budgetary reasons.

Bangkok/Phnom Penh - The UN Security Council might think twice before getting too involved in the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia over land around an ancient temple on their border.

The confrontation, which has claimed the lives of three Thais and five Cambodians this month and forced more than 25,000 people to flee their homes, is steeped in recent history and murky domestic politics.

The conflict surrounding Preah Vihear, an 11th-century Khmer temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, is a powder keg for nationalistic sentiments on both sides of the border.

Firstly, many in Thailand never accepted a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice that said the temple compound belonged to Cambodia.

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Thailand Supports UNESCO's Inspection Of Preah Vihear Temple

BANGKOK, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Wednesday that he supports the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to inspect the Preah Vihear Temple along the Thai-Cambodian border, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

In response to the UNESCO's proposal to inspect the Preah Vihear Temple in the wake of a series of crossfire between Thai-and Cambodian border troops--which erupted last Friday, Suthep, who oversees national security, acknowledged that it is good for the UN organisation to find out the truth.

Asked if Thailand should be careful of Cambodia's movements in any forum after the United Nations has rejected Phnom Penh's request for it to be a mediator to settle border rows between Thailand and Cambodia, the Thai deputy premier said Thailand, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has already made it clear that Thai-Cambodian border clashes have not justified any intervention by a third party, namely the UN or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), as both concerned countries should seek a way out by themselves and he considers the Thai-Cambodian border issues remain negotiable.

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Preah Vihear temple: Map of damages inflicted by the Thai army

Click on the map to zoom in

Map Legend

Damages on 04-05 February 2011
Yellow: Building burnt by shells
Cicled Pink: Area set ablaze by shells
Red: Zones where shells fell on
Pink: Zones damaged by automatic rifles and shrapnels
Blue: World Heritage signs

Damages on 06 February 2011
Purple: Zones where shells fell on
Green: Zones damages by shrapnels

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Hun Sen bully boy: Kasit [-Kasit is becoming paranoid?]

Wednesday, February 09, 2011
The Nation

Kasit labels Cambodian PM as bully boy, expresses suspicion Russia, India, China behind Cambodia's aggressiveness

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya Wednesday called Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen a bully boy who launched attacks against Thailand with hope to seize control of the disputed plot near Preah Vihear Temple.

Kasit was speaking at a seminar on Thai-Cambodian relationship at Parliament held by the Senate committee on foreign affairs.

Kasit told the seminar that the conflicts between the two countries happened because the Cambodian government incited hatred among its people towards Thailand.

Click to Read More ...

Click to Read More...

ANALYSIS: Domestic politics muddy Thai-Cambodian border spat

Feb 9, 2011
By Peter Janssen and Robert Carmichael
DPA

Hun Sen might also be under pressure to speed up the Thai-Cambodian border conflict for budgetary reasons.

Bangkok/Phnom Penh - The UN Security Council might think twice before getting too involved in the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia over land around an ancient temple on their border.

The confrontation, which has claimed the lives of three Thais and five Cambodians this month and forced more than 25,000 people to flee their homes, is steeped in recent history and murky domestic politics.

The conflict surrounding Preah Vihear, an 11th-century Khmer temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, is a powder keg for nationalistic sentiments on both sides of the border.

Firstly, many in Thailand never accepted a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice that said the temple compound belonged to Cambodia.

Click to Read More ...

Click to Read More...

Thailand Supports UNESCO's Inspection Of Preah Vihear Temple

BANGKOK, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said Wednesday that he supports the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to inspect the Preah Vihear Temple along the Thai-Cambodian border, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

In response to the UNESCO's proposal to inspect the Preah Vihear Temple in the wake of a series of crossfire between Thai-and Cambodian border troops--which erupted last Friday, Suthep, who oversees national security, acknowledged that it is good for the UN organisation to find out the truth.

Asked if Thailand should be careful of Cambodia's movements in any forum after the United Nations has rejected Phnom Penh's request for it to be a mediator to settle border rows between Thailand and Cambodia, the Thai deputy premier said Thailand, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has already made it clear that Thai-Cambodian border clashes have not justified any intervention by a third party, namely the UN or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), as both concerned countries should seek a way out by themselves and he considers the Thai-Cambodian border issues remain negotiable.

Click to Read More ...

Click to Read More...

Preah Vihear temple: Map of damages inflicted by the Thai army

Click on the map to zoom in

Map Legend

Damages on 04-05 February 2011
Yellow: Building burnt by shells
Cicled Pink: Area set ablaze by shells
Red: Zones where shells fell on
Pink: Zones damaged by automatic rifles and shrapnels
Blue: World Heritage signs

Damages on 06 February 2011
Purple: Zones where shells fell on
Green: Zones damages by shrapnels

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UN to meet on Feb 14 on Thai-Cambodian border disputes - reports

via CAAI

UN Security Council has agreed to meet on Feb 14 to solve the border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, Inter City Press reported.

The council reached the conclusion on late Tuesday, the Press; a non-governmental organization said.

To make clear that the UN is deferring to the regional group, Indonesia, as chair of this year's Asean, will be invited to the meeting. The country will be represented by Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

The meeting seemed to respond to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's request for the UN to intervene in the dispute while Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted that the dispute should be solved on bilateral basis.

Meanwhile Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the Press on Tuesday that he had spoken with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia. Some wonder why Ban isn't mediating, or even asked to mediate, under UN Charter Article 99.

In Bangkok, Chavanond Indharakomalsut, secretary to the foreign minister that FM Kasit Piromya is scheduled to travel to the UN to explain the Thai positions to the UN chief next week.

One of the positions is that Thailand wanted the problems be solved bilaterally and did not want to see a third party step in.

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UN to meet on Feb 14 on Thai-Cambodian border disputes - reports

via CAAI

UN Security Council has agreed to meet on Feb 14 to solve the border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, Inter City Press reported.

The council reached the conclusion on late Tuesday, the Press; a non-governmental organization said.

To make clear that the UN is deferring to the regional group, Indonesia, as chair of this year's Asean, will be invited to the meeting. The country will be represented by Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

The meeting seemed to respond to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's request for the UN to intervene in the dispute while Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted that the dispute should be solved on bilateral basis.

Meanwhile Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the Press on Tuesday that he had spoken with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia. Some wonder why Ban isn't mediating, or even asked to mediate, under UN Charter Article 99.

In Bangkok, Chavanond Indharakomalsut, secretary to the foreign minister that FM Kasit Piromya is scheduled to travel to the UN to explain the Thai positions to the UN chief next week.

One of the positions is that Thailand wanted the problems be solved bilaterally and did not want to see a third party step in.

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UN to meet on Feb 14 on Thai-Cambodian border disputes - reports

via CAAI

UN Security Council has agreed to meet on Feb 14 to solve the border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, Inter City Press reported.

The council reached the conclusion on late Tuesday, the Press; a non-governmental organization said.

To make clear that the UN is deferring to the regional group, Indonesia, as chair of this year's Asean, will be invited to the meeting. The country will be represented by Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

The meeting seemed to respond to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's request for the UN to intervene in the dispute while Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted that the dispute should be solved on bilateral basis.

Meanwhile Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the Press on Tuesday that he had spoken with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia. Some wonder why Ban isn't mediating, or even asked to mediate, under UN Charter Article 99.

In Bangkok, Chavanond Indharakomalsut, secretary to the foreign minister that FM Kasit Piromya is scheduled to travel to the UN to explain the Thai positions to the UN chief next week.

One of the positions is that Thailand wanted the problems be solved bilaterally and did not want to see a third party step in.

Read More

[Thai] Protest to be lodged over flag

January 31, 2011
The Nation

Preah Vihear tense after influx of Cambodian troops

The government will flex its muscles for the protesting yellow shirts from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to show it will protect land in disputed border areas. It plans to issue a statement of protest against Cambodia.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has instructed the Foreign Ministry to issue a protest, because Phnom Penh has refused to remove its national flag from the disputed area adjacent to the Hindu temple at Preah Vihear, the ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said.

"Concerned officials are working on it and we could issue the statement soon," he said. Abhisit said last week that Cambodia had no right to fly its national flag at Wat Keo Sikkha Kiri Svara temple as Thailand also claimed territorial rights to the area.

Thailand managed to convince Cambodia to remove two stone tablets saying the area where Thai troops invaded in 2008 belonged to Cambodia.

However Phnom Penh refused to follow any further demand from Bangkok to remove its national flag there. It says the temple built by Cambodian people in 1998 is clearly situated in Cambodian territory.

"Therefore the national flag of Cambodia is legitimately able to fly over the pagoda," a statement by Cambodia's Foreign Ministry said last week.

The border area adjacent to Preah Vihear has been argued over ever since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that the temple was situated in Cambodian territory.

Abhisit has argued that the ICJ ruled only the stone ruins belong to Cambodia while surrounding areas belong to Thailand.

The areas have not been demarcated yet but the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in 2000 to set up a joint mechanism to try to settle the dispute.

The PAD, which has staged a rally near the Prime Minister Office, wants Abhisit to use force to remove Cambodians from the disputed area and scrap the 2000 MOU on land boundary demarcation. They have pressured the government by vowing to stay until their demands are met.

Cambodia, meanwhile, is reported to have boosted troops in the area, notably near Preah Vihear. Thai news teams have said the border areas are tense while outlets in Phnom Penh have reported that the Cambodian military is ready for war with Thailand.

Abhisit insisted he would settle the border dispute with Cambodia by peaceful means. The 2000 MOU was an effective instrument for settling the border dispute, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who oversees security matters, said the Thai military was strong enough to protect the country but would not boost forces in the area near the historic temple.

The government would continue to negotiate with Cambodia over the border issue, he said.

"Please do not provoke any news to create tension with our neighbouring country. We have to live with them peacefully," Suthep said when asked about Cambodian troops along the border.

"We don't have any problem with Cambodia and our two governments have no problem," he said.

Asked if the government in Phnom Penh criticised Thailand every day, Suthep said, "don't look only at one side. If you are in Cambodia, you would see a group of Thai people scolding Cambodia every day."

Read More

[Thai] Protest to be lodged over flag

January 31, 2011
The Nation

Preah Vihear tense after influx of Cambodian troops

The government will flex its muscles for the protesting yellow shirts from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to show it will protect land in disputed border areas. It plans to issue a statement of protest against Cambodia.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has instructed the Foreign Ministry to issue a protest, because Phnom Penh has refused to remove its national flag from the disputed area adjacent to the Hindu temple at Preah Vihear, the ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said.

"Concerned officials are working on it and we could issue the statement soon," he said. Abhisit said last week that Cambodia had no right to fly its national flag at Wat Keo Sikkha Kiri Svara temple as Thailand also claimed territorial rights to the area.

Thailand managed to convince Cambodia to remove two stone tablets saying the area where Thai troops invaded in 2008 belonged to Cambodia.

However Phnom Penh refused to follow any further demand from Bangkok to remove its national flag there. It says the temple built by Cambodian people in 1998 is clearly situated in Cambodian territory.

"Therefore the national flag of Cambodia is legitimately able to fly over the pagoda," a statement by Cambodia's Foreign Ministry said last week.

The border area adjacent to Preah Vihear has been argued over ever since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that the temple was situated in Cambodian territory.

Abhisit has argued that the ICJ ruled only the stone ruins belong to Cambodia while surrounding areas belong to Thailand.

The areas have not been demarcated yet but the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in 2000 to set up a joint mechanism to try to settle the dispute.

The PAD, which has staged a rally near the Prime Minister Office, wants Abhisit to use force to remove Cambodians from the disputed area and scrap the 2000 MOU on land boundary demarcation. They have pressured the government by vowing to stay until their demands are met.

Cambodia, meanwhile, is reported to have boosted troops in the area, notably near Preah Vihear. Thai news teams have said the border areas are tense while outlets in Phnom Penh have reported that the Cambodian military is ready for war with Thailand.

Abhisit insisted he would settle the border dispute with Cambodia by peaceful means. The 2000 MOU was an effective instrument for settling the border dispute, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who oversees security matters, said the Thai military was strong enough to protect the country but would not boost forces in the area near the historic temple.

The government would continue to negotiate with Cambodia over the border issue, he said.

"Please do not provoke any news to create tension with our neighbouring country. We have to live with them peacefully," Suthep said when asked about Cambodian troops along the border.

"We don't have any problem with Cambodia and our two governments have no problem," he said.

Asked if the government in Phnom Penh criticised Thailand every day, Suthep said, "don't look only at one side. If you are in Cambodia, you would see a group of Thai people scolding Cambodia every day."

Read More

[Thai] Protest to be lodged over flag

January 31, 2011
The Nation

Preah Vihear tense after influx of Cambodian troops

The government will flex its muscles for the protesting yellow shirts from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to show it will protect land in disputed border areas. It plans to issue a statement of protest against Cambodia.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has instructed the Foreign Ministry to issue a protest, because Phnom Penh has refused to remove its national flag from the disputed area adjacent to the Hindu temple at Preah Vihear, the ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said.

"Concerned officials are working on it and we could issue the statement soon," he said. Abhisit said last week that Cambodia had no right to fly its national flag at Wat Keo Sikkha Kiri Svara temple as Thailand also claimed territorial rights to the area.

Thailand managed to convince Cambodia to remove two stone tablets saying the area where Thai troops invaded in 2008 belonged to Cambodia.

However Phnom Penh refused to follow any further demand from Bangkok to remove its national flag there. It says the temple built by Cambodian people in 1998 is clearly situated in Cambodian territory.

"Therefore the national flag of Cambodia is legitimately able to fly over the pagoda," a statement by Cambodia's Foreign Ministry said last week.

The border area adjacent to Preah Vihear has been argued over ever since the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that the temple was situated in Cambodian territory.

Abhisit has argued that the ICJ ruled only the stone ruins belong to Cambodia while surrounding areas belong to Thailand.

The areas have not been demarcated yet but the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in 2000 to set up a joint mechanism to try to settle the dispute.

The PAD, which has staged a rally near the Prime Minister Office, wants Abhisit to use force to remove Cambodians from the disputed area and scrap the 2000 MOU on land boundary demarcation. They have pressured the government by vowing to stay until their demands are met.

Cambodia, meanwhile, is reported to have boosted troops in the area, notably near Preah Vihear. Thai news teams have said the border areas are tense while outlets in Phnom Penh have reported that the Cambodian military is ready for war with Thailand.

Abhisit insisted he would settle the border dispute with Cambodia by peaceful means. The 2000 MOU was an effective instrument for settling the border dispute, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who oversees security matters, said the Thai military was strong enough to protect the country but would not boost forces in the area near the historic temple.

The government would continue to negotiate with Cambodia over the border issue, he said.

"Please do not provoke any news to create tension with our neighbouring country. We have to live with them peacefully," Suthep said when asked about Cambodian troops along the border.

"We don't have any problem with Cambodia and our two governments have no problem," he said.

Asked if the government in Phnom Penh criticised Thailand every day, Suthep said, "don't look only at one side. If you are in Cambodia, you would see a group of Thai people scolding Cambodia every day."

Read More

Abishit to clarify the souring of ties with Cambodia during his visit to New York [-Is it another Thai-style clarification filled with innuendos?]

Abhisit to clarify Thai issues while he is in the US

September 21, 2010
The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will clarify and explain issues of economics, politics and foreign policy to audiences during his visit to the United States from Wednesday to Saturday.

He will be telling investors about the Map Ta Phut problems, the souring of ties with Cambodia and the auction of 3G licences at the US-Asean Business Council on Friday, a Government House official said yesterday.

Abhisit hopes the foreign business community and investors will understand his government’s policies and justice system, the official said.

The premier will also attend the second US-Asean summit on Friday to emphasise the importance of America’s role in building up security in Southeast Asia. Leaders from both sides will look for ways to prevent protectionism and help turn the US and Asean into strategic partners.

On Thursday Abhisit will attend the opening ceremony of the 65th UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. The assembly this year will include a high-level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals in order to push member countries, notably developing countries, to achieve the goal by 2015.

The premier will also meet the media while he’s in the US, and is scheduled for interviews with CNN and CNBC. Foreign media, notably CNN, was accused of being prejudiced when reporting on Abhisit’s handling the red-shirt protest earlier this year.

Abhisit will also hold bilateral meetings with many foreign leaders, including Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and also attend a luncheon with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. A dinner reception hosted by US President Barack Obama, a speech at the Council of Foreign Relations and a meeting with Thais in New York is also on the PM’s itinerary.

He is scheduled to return to Thailand on Sunday morning.

Read More

Abishit to clarify the souring of ties with Cambodia during his visit to New York [-Is it another Thai-style clarification filled with innuendos?]

Abhisit to clarify Thai issues while he is in the US

September 21, 2010
The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will clarify and explain issues of economics, politics and foreign policy to audiences during his visit to the United States from Wednesday to Saturday.

He will be telling investors about the Map Ta Phut problems, the souring of ties with Cambodia and the auction of 3G licences at the US-Asean Business Council on Friday, a Government House official said yesterday.

Abhisit hopes the foreign business community and investors will understand his government’s policies and justice system, the official said.

The premier will also attend the second US-Asean summit on Friday to emphasise the importance of America’s role in building up security in Southeast Asia. Leaders from both sides will look for ways to prevent protectionism and help turn the US and Asean into strategic partners.

On Thursday Abhisit will attend the opening ceremony of the 65th UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. The assembly this year will include a high-level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals in order to push member countries, notably developing countries, to achieve the goal by 2015.

The premier will also meet the media while he’s in the US, and is scheduled for interviews with CNN and CNBC. Foreign media, notably CNN, was accused of being prejudiced when reporting on Abhisit’s handling the red-shirt protest earlier this year.

Abhisit will also hold bilateral meetings with many foreign leaders, including Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and also attend a luncheon with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. A dinner reception hosted by US President Barack Obama, a speech at the Council of Foreign Relations and a meeting with Thais in New York is also on the PM’s itinerary.

He is scheduled to return to Thailand on Sunday morning.

Read More