"Many of you may not know that Thailand's map contradicts that of all of our neighbouring countries--Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia ... Should the boundary disputes be brought to the International Court of Justice, Thailand is likely to lose many square kilometres, because our maps apparently overlap the demarcation lines prepared earlier by those countries."
- General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin
(TNA) – Army commander and coup chief Sonthi Boonyaratkalin today detailed a passel of problems faced by the regime, and singled out the use of drugs and the challenge of restoring unity as the toughest.
Army commander-in-chief and Council for National Security (CNS) chairman Gen Sonthi detailed the problems in a keynote speech on Thailand's critical issues at a workshop organised by the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC).
Gen Sonthi, who led a bloodless coup overthrowing prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Sept 19, on spoke to a mixed crowd of academics and senior government officials. He put strong emphasis on the problem of eradicating drugs - which most politicians called the 'war on drugs' - as cause for concern.
Fighting with Thailand's neighbours will not take place, especially in the next 10 years, but the nation is threatened by a great danger: lack of unity among the people. He said that more cooperation from state officials is needed to rid the kingdom of this danger.
Gen Sonthi added that the danger from insurgency problem in the three southern border provinces – Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat – is increasing. In fact, new victims are attacked every day and the number of casualties keeps escalating.
Other problems that might arise in future includes the poorly demarcated borders with some neighbouring countries, according to the CNS chairman.
"Many of you may not know that Thailand's map contradicts that of all of our neighbouring countries--Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia," Gen. Sonthi said, using the new name for Burma. "Should the boundary disputes be brought to the International Court of Justice, Thailand is likely to lose many square kilometres, because our maps apparently overlap the demarcation lines prepared earlier by those countries."
Expressing his concern regarding Thailand's dwindling natural resources, Gen Sonthi said, "We must ask ourselves how to live in the next 10 years. We may have to decide which role to be played: that of an industrialised country, a country in a middle-man role, or that of a producing country".
These and related unresolved questions need to be answered now, he said.
Army commander-in-chief and Council for National Security (CNS) chairman Gen Sonthi detailed the problems in a keynote speech on Thailand's critical issues at a workshop organised by the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC).
Gen Sonthi, who led a bloodless coup overthrowing prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Sept 19, on spoke to a mixed crowd of academics and senior government officials. He put strong emphasis on the problem of eradicating drugs - which most politicians called the 'war on drugs' - as cause for concern.
Fighting with Thailand's neighbours will not take place, especially in the next 10 years, but the nation is threatened by a great danger: lack of unity among the people. He said that more cooperation from state officials is needed to rid the kingdom of this danger.
Gen Sonthi added that the danger from insurgency problem in the three southern border provinces – Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat – is increasing. In fact, new victims are attacked every day and the number of casualties keeps escalating.
Other problems that might arise in future includes the poorly demarcated borders with some neighbouring countries, according to the CNS chairman.
"Many of you may not know that Thailand's map contradicts that of all of our neighbouring countries--Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia," Gen. Sonthi said, using the new name for Burma. "Should the boundary disputes be brought to the International Court of Justice, Thailand is likely to lose many square kilometres, because our maps apparently overlap the demarcation lines prepared earlier by those countries."
Expressing his concern regarding Thailand's dwindling natural resources, Gen Sonthi said, "We must ask ourselves how to live in the next 10 years. We may have to decide which role to be played: that of an industrialised country, a country in a middle-man role, or that of a producing country".
These and related unresolved questions need to be answered now, he said.
29 comments:
The neighbopurs are thankful that Cambodian leadership is so weak that the neighbours can do whatever they like.
SiS
Why does this General know Thailands' weakness? Possibly, this general participated in moving original border marks agreed to by their former leaders of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Burma in the 1950's.
Evidently, in June 2002, in Pailin Thai soldeirs moved the border posts 9 km into Cambodia and planted mines in the new location. When, our people knew that the posts had been removed from its original location, they tried to moved them back. Unfortunately, the mines killed one of them and injured some others. Our people in Pailin realized that this was Thai's way of stealing our land. What does our government do? Nothing. They would not care. They depend on this stupid man Var Kim Hong who knows nothing about the border issue compared to Sean Peng Se.
Gen. Sonthi is nervous if Cambodia takes the issue to International Court of Justice his country will lose many squared km of lands that Thialnd stole from us. This gives us green light to reclaim our land back should we take this opportunity.
All Khmer brothers and sisters need to know this general's statement. The CPP leaders must not sign any border agreement with Thailand without clarification like they did to the Vietnmaese.
Most of the comments on KI Media make me very very angry...
Why should a Thai general be afraid of Cambodia ???
Nowadays Cambodia IS a garbage dump because some some Cambodian people are too greedy...
When there are problems in Cambodia, the comments are always "because of the Yuons" or "the Thai did it" ....
The same happens in Europe, when something goes wrong, it's always because "people with a dark skin did it"...
...this is RACISM, and it makes me very sick...
Wake up, we live in 2006,
the problems in Cambodia
are made by Cambodian people,
don't blame foreigners or your neighbours for everything that goes wrong in Cambodia.
TAKE YOUR OWN RESPONSABILITY !!!
PS I lived in Cambodia for 1.5 year. I don't need or want your comment(s) about "you're a foreigner, you don't know what's happening in Cambodia". This is 2006, so many many foreigners know very well wht's happening in Cambodia. The only thing I know is that I have FRIENDS in Thailand, in Cambodia and in Vietnam.
Moreover, I tried to help some children who live on the garbage dump of Phnom Penh. I don't know ONE Cambodian man or woman who tried to help those children. But I know one VIETNAMESE woman who tried to help the CAMBODIAN children on the garbage dump
...so please, STOP blaming yourt neighbours about everything that goes wrong in your country...
THIS IS 2006, EACH COUNTRY HAS TO TAKE ITS OWN RESPONSABILITY
FOR EVERYTHING THAT GOES WRONG !
...but this seems to be too difficult for Cambodian people...
to 7:38 AM
90% of the outrageous post you are reading is the result of 1 ignorant indivdual. He is not even native to Cambodia.
Cambodians know their leaders are corrupt. However, the present system makes it hard to replace these politicians.
you're right on the butt 7:38 am. Every posting are all about yuons take this ,yuons take that , and it was true, but the question is why don't all khmers know how to protect their own country? No wonder the so called MOHANOKOR kept shrinking to the size of little shit. Well, enjoy it now before it is gone from the map.
To 7:38AM, 7:58 AM, 8:44 AM
Can all of you hypocrite smart arse tell the VIET (Ah Yuon Katop, me You Katop) to get out of Cambodia, and stop supporting ah Viet-dog HUN SEN and his 90% Viet cronies regime in P. Penh? I bet you can't.
Can any of you pretender smart arse point out one good thing that ah HUN SEN and his cronies regime which is HANOI satellite regime by the way (just in case you're deaf and blind) has done for Cambodia besides begging, living off foreign aids, grabbing and sell Khmer's land? I bet none of you monkey can't.
You monkeys are no more than pretenders/manipulators that don't even know how to sratch your own arses, yet calling other ignorant, and racist...If you smart monkeys call ah HUN SEN and his Viet-cronies KHMER, you are sadly mistaken...
Go on ahead hypocrite smart arse, show and tell the world more and see how smart you bunch of monkeys are and how bad Khmer people are from here on in on KI.....I'll be sure to keep on reading....
Buddy... 9:53am don't be so mad .Like you i'm so pissed but react with different way. For exemple, you park your car outside of your garage with the door unlocked and with key it it, and somehow got stolen..who are you going to blame yourself or the thief ? i most likely blame myself man.
Buddy... 9:53am don't be so mad .Like you i'm so pissed but react with different way. For exemple, you park your car outside of your garage with the door unlocked and with key it it, and somehow got stolen..who are you going to blame yourself or the thief ? i most likely blame myself man.
Reader at 738am was just trying to make a balanced view point which was indeed correct, so there is no need to call fellow blog writers names.
Khmer is capable of doing great thing like building the magnificent Angkor Wat temple. But Khmer also can be as vicious and evil - just look at the Pol Pot regime. The people who took away and killed my father were Khmer Rouge soldiers - not Vietnamese and not Thai.
The sad state of Khmerland is due to the shortcoming of its leaders, past and present who besides the great titles and wealth, rarely accept responsibilities for their actions.
Understanding Khmer's weakness is not unpatriotic but an asset. If we do not recognize our mistake, how can we change for the better?
To 7:38am ( Kruu Han )
Thank you for bringing to our attention that there are some Vietnamese woman out there trying to help our poor kids from the dumping ground and we thank her for what she did, if she did what she supposed to do. Just so you know that there are a lot of Madames Of May Flowers out there in Cambodia and for your information, that Viet woman probably was full of balony. I hate to think what would happen to those kids and I love my Khmers Brothers regardless of what you say. Good bye!
Wake up Kruu Han.
1) Read what KI Media about Gen. Sonthi's concern of losing land if those five countries takes the issue to Int. Court of Justice.
2) You said some Cambodian people are too greedy. You blame the people, but not the leaders your are out of touch with the reality. If you do not observe about what's going on and check the border provinces along the Thai-Cambodian or Vietnam-Cambodian border even if you live in Cambodian for 50 years you are no different than a frog inside a pond.
I live 17 years in Cambodia visiting all provinces except Koh Kong and visiting all of the Border provinces but Koh Kong. I live in Thailand for 4 years and 22 years in the US and teaching in a US for 15 years. I have Thai and Vietnamese friends. This is not about the people of these Countries. This is about the leaders
3)Youn took part in Cambodian politics. You need to study more about its policy toward Cambodia and Loas.
4)We are not racists. We blame who abuse our people take our land away from the innocent, shoot and kill our people along the border. Have you visited and talk to people who were victims of Youn in Kompot, Svayrieng, Ratanakiri provinces? Youn come to Cambodia anytime and can live anywhere. Can you go to Vietnam and live whereever you want? Is that racist?
5)Agreed about taking responsibilty. However, you have to look at the big picture about what going on in Cambodian politics. Who are those people that influence the CPP.
6) The issue here is about the border. Don't you understand what you are reading? Youn and Thai took Khmer's land. That's why Thai's present map contracdicts those that was drwn in the past. Thai General told his people that if Cambodia or any of those five countries take the issue to Int. Court of Justice. Thailand will lose many squared km of its present territory. This is not every problem that happen in Cambodia. I will blame any country or anyone that takes away Khmer land for as long as I live and you have no rights to ask me and any concerned Khmer from saying this if you do not care.
It's not always the internal problems we're Khmer have. The reasons we'd lost border integrity because the officials of the neighbouring countries' politic. WE ARE A PON TO THEM. The whole South Vietnam was lost 800 years ago, and not to mention the others.
To AH KRUU HAN (crazy teacher)!
ahahahahahahahah!
The very reason why you are so angry and so mad because you are Vietcong double agents!
First if you have any fucken brain given by your mother and your father you should know that Cambodia still inherit Vietcong slave puppet government installed by the Vietcong invasion since 1979! You better prove me wrong cause I will come down on you very hard! ahahahahah!
A fucken fool like you love to mention about one Viet woman who want to save one Cambodian child! But you hate,hate, and hate mention about the Vietcong still subjugate million and million of Khmer who live without basic human right in Southern Vietname. You don't call the Vietcong's action is a form of racism or Vietcong Apartheid system?
This fucken fool had been living in Cambodia for only 1.5 years and yet he talk like he know so much! What does this fool know anyway?
KruHan: As the other blogger said, 90% of the hateful comments are posted by one ignorant, stupid bastard. People must realize that Cambodia has a lot to catch up with because of the time after the VN war. To blame everything on the Thais, Vietnamese is certainly wrong. I am quoting from Wikipedia on the history of Cambodia:
n 1863 King Norodom, who had been installed by Thailand, sought the protection of France. In 1867, the Thai king signed a treaty with France, renouncing suzerainty over Cambodia in exchange for the control of Battambang and Siem Reap provinces which officially became part of Thailand. The provinces were ceded back to Cambodia by a border treaty between France and Thailand in 1906.
Kampuchea Krom was given to VN by the French. So it's all the neighbors' fault?
Khmer people must forget about the past and look into the future and work with their neighbors. They only have to gain from that, despite apparent imbalances and an inept, corrupt government.
And 2:31 probably never lived in Cambodia at all. Is he even Khmer, can he read and write Khmer?
To 10:51 PM
Oh really? Tell me more!hahahhahah!
So are you saying that when the fucken Thai took control over Battambang and Siem Reap and the Jap have no role in it! Who the fuck you think I am?! Do you think that I was a fool who borned yesterday? You better get your fucken fact straight fool!
The Jap didn't give a fuck about anybody when they kicked the European colonial masters from South East Asia! It is a fact that the Jap handed those Battambang and Siem Reap to the Thai for helping them in the war! But when the Jap lost the war and the French came back and the fucken Thai didn't have much choice except to run for their life!ahahahahaha!
During the couple years of the fucken Thai rule in Battambang and Siem Reap ,the fucken Thai banned all kind of Khmer education and force their second handed Thai language education down Cambodian throat in hoping one day these stupid Cambodian will confuse and think that they are Thai because these Cambodian know how to speak Thai!ahahahhahah!
Let me ask you and how many time did the fucken had claimed that Preah Vihea and Angkor Wat belong to Thailand only until the fucken Thai lost a fight in International Court on Preah Vihea!!ahahahah
I don't give a stupid fuck who gave the Khmer land away! It is the very core issue that Khmer people whether Khmer people live Thailane and Vietname and these Khmer people have the same right like all other human being to live free from oppression!
What the Khmer are going through is no different than that of the East Timorese in Indonesia! The East Timor is a classic example because East Timor was under the Dutch colonial master and was handed over to Indonesia! After East Timor went through a bloody struggle and now the East Timorese enjoyed their Independence from Indonesia!
Two wrong doesn't make it right! It is possible to undo the past and take back what belong to the Khmer! I like to see my brothers and sisters in the land of Khmer Krom and in the land of Khmer Surin to gain independent from the Viet or the Saim and live free like the East Timorese!
Why do think the East Timorese want to have their own country?
Why do think the Jewish people want to have their own country? Now you know! Khmer people can learn alot from East Timorese and the creation of the Jewish nation!
Anon@10:53PM
Cool it ah lombol kach 10:53PM...lolz. Yap main anh niyeay khmer hauy soser khmer teart. Pinh jet nov ah Lombol yor?
lmao... Toirt kompess koot bei jeurng roirb muoy lov ning...lmao!!! (j/k)
You all can blame on anything you may think of. The buttom line is who will do better job for their own people and their land. Historically speaking, when you fight among themselves, then you are empty. That is why Gen. sothi concerns about Thailand. Khmer Empire already served as a clear evidence of broken spirits among themselves. From all the comments you made, they are pointed to the same direction. So keep up the fight among yourselves and keep up the pointing the fingers to others, you will be finished one day of yourland from POIPET to BAVIT. MARK MY WORDS IN STONE IN FRONT YOUR HOMES AND TEMPLES.
Sorry, sorry, sorry... I didn't want to offend anybody. I just wanted to say that every country has its good and bad people, and even in Thailand and in Vietnam there are good people !
Thank you, Phou and Anonynomous @7.58 am, @8.44 am @ 10;51 pm and @1.11 a.m. for supporting me.
To anonymous at 2:31 pm who wrote "A fucken fool like you love to mention about one Viet woman who want to save one Cambodian child! But you hate,hate, and hate mention about the Vietcong still subjugate million and million of Khmer who live without basic human right in Southern Vietname. You don't call the Vietcong's action is a form of racism or Vietcong Apartheid system?",
to you I just want to say this:
1. That Vietnamese woman was very honest (and in a way she was a very funny woman too). She always told me: Vietnamese or Cambodian children, I don't care, children are everywhere the same. So I don't want to give my money to Mister Buddha anymore because Mister Buddha is already very rich, I just want to buy food for poor children...
2. Most of the Cambodians were very happy when the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia and started to fight against the Khmer Rouge...
3. Do you know how many innocent Cambodians AND Vietnamese were killed by the Cambodian Khmer Rouge ?
4. This "fucken fool" lived and worked in Cambodia for 1.5 year.
I enjoyed every minute I was in Cambodia;
I tried to learn as much as possible about Cambodia and its people;
I tried (and still try) to help as many Cambodian kids as I could;
I still try to send as many as possible European tourists to Cambodia (not only to see the temples of Angkor Wat but also to places like Rattanakiri, Takeo, Kampot, Battambang, Kratie and even to the garbage dump of Stung Meanchy because I want them to see the problems in Cambodia too);
When I was in Cambodia, I always tried to be as humble as possible;
I tried to learn and read as much as I could about Cambodian culture and history when I was in Cambodia;
etc...
5° So I know a little bit about he history of Cambodia, and I know that many Cambodian people have suffered from the Vietnamese, and / or from the Thais, but also from the Cambodian (!) Khmer Rouge.
But I never understood why most (not all !) Cambodian people keep looking in the rear mirror and keep blaming "the yuon" or "the thai" for everything that goes wrong in their country in 2006. That's a very simple and easy way of thinking: "If we have a problem, it's because of the neighbours..."
(many politicians in Europe do exactly the same: e.g. Hitler said the Jews were the cause of all the problems in Germany, and Le Pen said the immigrants are the source of all the problems in France.
Even all the lazy students in the world use that way of thinking: If he or she doesn't pass, it's never because he or she was too lazy, but always because the questions were too difficult...)
...but if you look at what happens in Cambodia IN 2006 then you'll know that the Vietnamese or the Thais can't steal that much land anymore, because almost all your land has been sold to China ! That's the reality, this is Cambodia in 2006, and even a "fucken fool" like me can see what's happening...
So please, stop blaming the neighbours for everything that goes wrong and please give me an answer the following question: Who's selling all the land to China?
PS Many tourists and visitors who have been in Cambodia can't understand why the rich in Cambodia are sooooo rich
and the poor in Cambodia sooooo poor... That's another question. Do you know the answer? Is this because of the Vietnamese, or because of the Thais ???
Kruu Hen
lmao@Kruu Hen....huoss jet! Wow Yuon's women huh? ROFL! This Kruu Hen's head must be in his arse...lol!!!
I give Kruu Hen, 20. That's all the IQ he got!
Kruu Hen (chicken=hen) does not know what he is talking about. The topic here is not about why is the rich gets so rich or the poor gets so poor. The issue here is about the concern that Thailand might lose its present territory. Don't you understand? It seems like you have some kind of disability to comprehend a simple passage as stated in this KI Media.
To 11:34pm
I believe every word you said. Thank you
For those of you that don't understand what he said, please learn about our true history thru world history during World War 2.
You will understand exactly what he said. Thank God there is one Cambodian man like him and another Cambodian man like 9:53am.
Eat your heart out dummy folk! Most of you here like Kruu Han , Kruu hop or whatever you name is, you can tell your story to the pigon or bird, but you won't get thru to me...I'm sick hearing your story. Go away! as far as you could. You are like a decease and I don't like you at all.
To 1:25PM
Thank you and I hear you! For the moment I thought I was alone wolf in the wilderness until you came along! It takes time and pratice to understand Cambodian history! What I know is only a fraction of Cambodian history! Thing don't just happen for no reason and I know there must be reason to why Cambodia continue to be what it is today!
When I discovered the true history of Cambodia and I became very mad with all the injustice done on Cambodian people! Cambodia can no longer be compare to a beautiful helpless woman and get rape by the enemy repeatedly! It is time that Cambodia must prepare to engage the enemy and at the end Cambodia will come out as a strong nation!
Yes! I will guarantee that Cambodia will become a strong nation if they chose to engage the enemy!
Again : Thank you, Phou and Anonynomous @7.58 am, @8.44 am @ 10;51 pm, @1.11 a.m. and especially the reader at 11.40 am for supporting me. I know my letters are a little bit "off topic," however your clever reactions help me to understand how Cambodian people think about their neighbours...
And after 1.5 year in Cambodia I still have some problems to understand Cambodia, e.g. why most of the Cambodian people have a lot of problems with "criticism" ...
If you don't believe me, just take a look at http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeof03b/id18.html
...which is written by a Cambodian man, not by a stupid European "farang" ;-)
However, I still don't understand why Cambodian people hate Vietnamese people that much, even in 2006. I thought many Cambodians were happy when the Vietnamese liberated them from the Khmer Rouge ! Or not ?
Please explain, even if you don't agree with me !
PS I have friends in Thailand, in Vietnam but also in Cambodia !!!
So you don't have to call me a "fucken fool" or a "smart monkey" all the time,
I just try to understand why Cambodian people think like this.
So please give me some answers,
and stop insulting me as a person who has problems with his arse or an IQ of 20 or something like that !
(And to the writer at 1.11 pm :
I understand what you're writing.
Your letter helped me a lot to understand the Khmer psyche!
However, we live in 2006, so are the problens with the border still important ? Most of the Cambodian land - and your oil - has been sold to Chinese companies anyway, which frightens me much more than the problems with Vietnam...or not ???)
"Kruu Chicken"
To 11:28am
You are welcome! My best buddy & Hero forever!
To 7:36am
Century after century since when Ah Vietcong did anything for us nice and decent from their heart ?
All we heard about was Ah Vietcong took our land ,Ah Vietcong rape our peole, Ah Vietcong killed our people and Ah Vietcong kept holding on to our Kampuchea Krom like it was ther from the last life until today. They denied our people right, their employment their way of life as Khmers. They want them to change their last name...look the could go on foever. O.K. This is why we don't give af*.. about Ah Vietcong. and look at the Vietnam war. Who Brought American bombs in our land?Now they are all over in our land and treating our people like they were a three year old kid. Can you understand our pain?. Kampuchea Krom is not their. Ah French gave it to them, because Ah French did no tkno what he was doing. And why Ah French clamp their traps and not saying anything until today? You tell me why?!!!!!!!!!!
To 8:35AM (AH KRUU FUCKEN FOOL!)
The answer was given many time before therefore there is no point of begging for more answer!
The Vietcong government can no longer deny the right of million and million of Khmer Krom in Southern Vietname! The the discussion and the fight for freedom of the Khmer Krom people will go on forever as long as the Vietcong government continue to deny the basic human right for the Khmer Krom people!
Oh one more thing about the Cambodian land or oil
(black gold)! Cambodian government welcome anybody include
American,Japanese,Korea,China...as long as they have money! It is too bad that the Vietcong government don't have any money to show for and so the Vietcong government are not welcome! In case you didn't know that Chevron is one of the biggest oil Company in the world and they are in Cambodia digging for oil! ahahahhahahaha!
Please don't tell me that you are trying to understand Khmer psyche!
You will never understand what does it mean to be Khmer! The Khmer people have long history and culture and their greatest achievement in art ,literature,and great monument of Angkor Wat to show the world! What does the Viet and the Thai have to show the world?
What frighten me the most is that Cambodian people are being forced to adopt dog eating culture from the Viet!
If you have any more idea and I am willing to listen!ahahahhahah
ahahahahahah
Sorry 8:35! The above message for 7:36AM! Just a little typo! My apology!
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