Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Thai PM on the current Thai protest over Preah Vihear: "It tarnishes Thai-Cambodian relations"

PM lashes out at Opposition party leader in censure debate

BANGKOK, June 24 (TNA) - Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej Tuesday expressed his frustration with Opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva who had launched relentless barrages upon him during his two-hour censure debate at Parliament.

The premier said he considered Mr. Abhisit's verbal attacks ''far removed from reason,'' but that he had sufficient patience.

Addressing the House of Representatives, Mr. Samak said he had not anticipated such unrelenting spates of verbal attacks from the opposition leader, but maintained that he could stand up to the barrage of attacks launched against him during the censure debate.

"I have been insulted by this man in his forties on groundless charges. His claims were too harsh," said the 73-year-old premier.

Mr. Samak commented that it was not quite fair to his coalition government and to himself to come under stern criticism because he had just run the country for a four-months time so far. The Democrat Party should have shown more patience by allowing the government to perform instead of initiating a censure debate at this time.

Meanwhile, the premier cautioned that the Democrats' criticisms regarding the government's handling of the Preah Vihear controversy might affect the state relations between Thailand and Cambodia.

"I don't know why some people are blowing the case of Preah Vihear entirely out of proportion," Mr. Samak said. "It tarnishes Thai-Cambodian relations."

Mr. Samak said Thailand had lost the world-renowned ancient temple complex to Cambodia under a World Court ruling in 1962 and had peacefully co-existed for 45 years until the Democrats dug up the controversy lately.

Thailand had clearly insisted that Cambodia, which planned to register Preah Vihear temple as a world heritage with United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) next month, must not annex any piece of disputed land around Preah Vihear as part of the temple.

The resurrected international issue needed to be handled with the utmost care, and bilateral relationships between Thailand and Cambodia are to remain intact, the premier said.

Mr. Samak said that some Thai nationals currently living in Cambodia were so worried about the matter that they asked him whether or not it might lead to the evacuation of all Thais from the neighbouring country.

In other areas, the opposition lawmakers will question the other ministers regarding mismanagement and inefficiency.

The two-day debate will end with a no-confidence vote on Thursday.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thai Democrats or Thai Demo crazy?

Anonymous said...

THE WORLD COURT RULED PREAH VIHEAR BELONGS TO CAMBODIA IN 1962. WHAT IS THE FUCKING PROBLEM? HOW DARE YOU (THAI) DISOBEYED THE WORLD COURT! WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?

SHUT IT DOWN PERMANENTLY. THIS WAY, THE THAI CAN'T USE IT. THUS, IT ALSO HELP PRESERVE THE TEMPLE FROM DETERIORATIONS. MAKE IT EXTERIOR AND AIRIAL VIEWS ONLY! ANYONE DISAGREE?

Anonymous said...

King Sihanouk won the court battle at International Court and Cambodia got Preah Viheah back.

Many Cambodians are kept in dark and they don't know that King Sihanouk won it. These barbarians who curse the King every day do not dare to mention about Preah Viheah because they are afraid they may have to be reminded who fought Thai to get Preah Viheah back like some others said.

What a curse Cambodia has.

Anonymous said...

You freaking Thai bandit had kissed Khmer's built Preah Vihear granite goodbye centuries ago!

Now come kiss Khmer's arse you freaking Thai!

Anonymous said...

Hey 6:45 AM, don't get too cocky just yet. You may be the ignorant one: Sihanouk as then head of state did not do Cambodia any favor. He simply got slapped in the face, woken up by many many Khmer patriots, intellectuals and elites (instead of playing music, chasing women and being a casanova) to say what it (Preah Vihear) had been already and righfully Khmer's. Got that? Do some research, will ya?

fyi 6:45 AM - Sihanouk later managed to destroy 99% if not all all those same patriots, intellectuals, and elites of Camboidia for the survival of his monarchy. Remember that!!!

One Cambodian lad

Anonymous said...

oh my god, they really attack their prime minister. how could the man do his job with this kind of harsh criticism with no legality to it? i think even the prime minister has his own duty and he must perform his duty, and for the pad thugs to blow it out of proportion by using cambodia's preah vihear issue is beyond anybody's patience. this guy should be in prison for slandering and disrespecting the prime minister who is lawfully in office, and that perhaps goes with the cambodian counterpart as well. i think it is too harsh, without regard to the goodness of neighborly relations. if the pad thugs think they can do a better job, i'm wondering why don't they in power already. there must be a good reason for that.

anyway, this is just my own view from having read the above article. and even a khmer person like me can feel for their prime minister. god bless cambodia.

if something going on in cambodia against thai or siem national, it is the pad's fault, and don't blame it on cambodia as it is not even our problem. i hope the world can see the same as cambodia sees it. thank you and god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Good comment brother 8.05

I think you are clever and high educated people. If possible, I world call Thai politicians from democrate to study with you. And you should wash their brain.

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen should tell Siam "Cambodia Temple is not a GAMBLER they are not going to win at the internation Court.

Anonymous said...

True, but Siam don't care about the temple, only the Khmer in Thailand want the temple back, and the Thai government must do all it can to support the Khmer People in Thailand.

Anonymous said...

To 6:25PM

What Khmer in Thailand? If there is such thing as Khmer in Thailand and they do not need to demand anything from Cambodia because Cambodia is their motherland and they are welcome with open arm! They can visit Angkor Wat or Phrea Vihear the same way like other Khmer people!

If you are Khmer and you will have more privilege on Khmer soil than the Thaicong! So there shouldn't be any fighting between Khmer and Khmer! Cambodia must emulate the Jewish nation where all Jew around the world can come to Israel and make their home!