Opinion By Kenneth T. So
I am incensed that after 46 years of silence, now Thailand is protesting against Cambodia for the use of the French-Siamese Commission map made in 1907 that recognizes the demarcation of Cambodia frontier.
According to the Article in Thai newspaper, The Nation, dated March 21, 2008, it said the following:
The affair of Preah Vihear has flared up again because of Cambodia's application to the UNESCO to include the Temple of Preah Vihear in the World Heritage List. The initial Thai government reaction was swift and negative. They tried to block against Cambodia's application. Finally, due to pressure from Thai academicians and diplomats all over the world, the Thai government relented and no longer opposed Cambodia's application.
On March 25, 2008, the Thai Foreign Ministry Affairs issued a statement saying that she recognized the judgment of the ICJ that granted the Temple of Preah Vihear to Cambodia. Thailand recognizes that she has no choice in this matter because she cannot go against the ICJ ruling and the world's opinion. However, as cunning as ever, Thailand threw a wrench into the gear to stop everything in motion. Now that her effort to stop Cambodia's application to list the Temple of Preah Vihear in the World Heritage Site has failed, Thailand is now resorting to a new trick to hold Cambodia and the world hostage. Thailand says that she does recognize Preah Vihear belonging to Cambodia but not the demarcation of the frontier that she agreed by the ICJ in 1962. Thailand insisted on using her own map that had never been recognized by the ICJ.
The UNESCO's World Heritage Committee will meet on July 2, 2008 in Quebec. One of the subjects of discussion will be on the Temple of Preah Vihear. Thailand knows full well that this meeting is very important for Cambodia. She knows that UNESCO needs the cooperation from Thailand before it can record the Temple of Preah Vihear in the World Heritage List. Without Thailand cooperation it is unlikely that UNESCO will approve Cambodia's application. Thailand really knows how to play this game. Cambodia should not fall into Thailand's blackmail and should hold her accountable to the court of international laws. A decision had been made by the ICJ based on the French-Siamese Commission map made in 1907. Thailand had accepted the judgment and for her to renege on her action is not acceptable to Cambodia or to the international community.
It is time that Thailand stops bullying Cambodia and acts as if the latter is still her vassal state. As for Cambodia, it is time for her to develop and complete the road to Preah Vihear that ex-Phnom Penh Governor Chea Sophara had started.
Kenneth So
Aryasatya (Sanskrit)
Chattari Ariyasachchani (Pali)
Chatuk Arey Sachak (Khmer)
The Four Noble Truths (English)
According to the Article in Thai newspaper, The Nation, dated March 21, 2008, it said the following:
"The Foreign Ministry Friday summoned the Cambodian and French ambassadors to Thailand to register Thailand's opposition to Cambodia's use of ancient maps published by France to determine its borderline. Weerachai Palasai, director-general of the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs, said he was assigned by Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama to summon the two ambassadors to register the opposition.Why after all these years, Thailand is objecting to Cambodia's use of the joined commission map agreed by both France and Siam in 1907? This map was used at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 15 June 1962 during the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. As history has recorded, the ICJ had sided with Cambodia and recognized that Preah Vihear was located within Cambodia. Thailand had accepted the ICJ decision.
He said French Ambassador Laurent Bili and Cambodian Ambassador Ung Sean were told that Thailand saw that the ancient maps of Utdor Mean Chey province and Preah Vihear provinces were inaccurate."
The affair of Preah Vihear has flared up again because of Cambodia's application to the UNESCO to include the Temple of Preah Vihear in the World Heritage List. The initial Thai government reaction was swift and negative. They tried to block against Cambodia's application. Finally, due to pressure from Thai academicians and diplomats all over the world, the Thai government relented and no longer opposed Cambodia's application.
On March 25, 2008, the Thai Foreign Ministry Affairs issued a statement saying that she recognized the judgment of the ICJ that granted the Temple of Preah Vihear to Cambodia. Thailand recognizes that she has no choice in this matter because she cannot go against the ICJ ruling and the world's opinion. However, as cunning as ever, Thailand threw a wrench into the gear to stop everything in motion. Now that her effort to stop Cambodia's application to list the Temple of Preah Vihear in the World Heritage Site has failed, Thailand is now resorting to a new trick to hold Cambodia and the world hostage. Thailand says that she does recognize Preah Vihear belonging to Cambodia but not the demarcation of the frontier that she agreed by the ICJ in 1962. Thailand insisted on using her own map that had never been recognized by the ICJ.
The UNESCO's World Heritage Committee will meet on July 2, 2008 in Quebec. One of the subjects of discussion will be on the Temple of Preah Vihear. Thailand knows full well that this meeting is very important for Cambodia. She knows that UNESCO needs the cooperation from Thailand before it can record the Temple of Preah Vihear in the World Heritage List. Without Thailand cooperation it is unlikely that UNESCO will approve Cambodia's application. Thailand really knows how to play this game. Cambodia should not fall into Thailand's blackmail and should hold her accountable to the court of international laws. A decision had been made by the ICJ based on the French-Siamese Commission map made in 1907. Thailand had accepted the judgment and for her to renege on her action is not acceptable to Cambodia or to the international community.
It is time that Thailand stops bullying Cambodia and acts as if the latter is still her vassal state. As for Cambodia, it is time for her to develop and complete the road to Preah Vihear that ex-Phnom Penh Governor Chea Sophara had started.
Kenneth So
Aryasatya (Sanskrit)
Chattari Ariyasachchani (Pali)
Chatuk Arey Sachak (Khmer)
The Four Noble Truths (English)
9 comments:
Don't we Cambodian at least have some few smart or intelligent people to present this matter at the UN? Or we are just to coward to face the Thai? I said like this because we have all kind of proofs and evidences such as documents, map and natural site which base on our people living there and our Khmer's script on the monument. Though, the people that living surround the temple or the parameters of the temple can prove to us that this site is belong to Khmer regardless or despite the SIAM objection. They will never win if we bring this issue to the UN. Trust me folks and fellows we will surely win. Khmer please don't let this down. Hun Sen must fight this case. If you let this down Thai will never end there they will continue until there is no Khmer on world map.
Hey Ah Hun Sen is very weaker link. He was bombarded by Hanoi and Siamese. Hun Sen, Khmer Sihanouk and Sihamony are retard leaders who let Cambodia disappear from the map.
Where are Sihanouk and Sihamony? They might be all dead by now. Ah Thai people do protest against Ah stupid Khmer nation and where are Ah Stupid Khmer nation? Where are Ah Supreme Commander, Tea Banch and Hok Lundy, etc...? They might be hiding in their Hanoi Villas.
Why don't Khmer leaders and people protest against Ah Thailand? Why are so quiet?
Dumb Ah Thailand ass...
yes, cambodia must not yield to this kind of violation by thailand on a sovereigned cambodia. thailand is obviously pushing and biting more than it can handle. cambodia, please be wary and use the world community as our witness, and use the international law and our own constitutional law to claim back what thailand have taken from us and still wants more. if thailand still bullying and harrassing cambodia like this, cambodia will fight them back eternally. we'll have to see! go bless cambodia and our khmer brothers and sisters. everyone in cambodia and everyone with khmer heritage can help; don't wait for just our prime minister, etc..., look at the thai, it's not their prime minister that continue to harrass cambodia, it the so-called thai people allliance for democracy group as they called themselves. that said, all cambodia should do the same to retaliate their illegal activity against territory. i say again, please don't just wait for the prime minister to take action or something, every khmer people can do a lot to help as we are educated better and not in the so-called dark ages anymore. stand up for our rights as a sovereigned nation, all khmers. god bless cambodia.
i think someone should ask mr. hun sen what he thinks about all of this going regards preah vihear and the thai protest etc..., because khmer people do expect our top leaders to take action to protect our territory and sovereignty to a certain degree, although, yes, everyone can participate, however the leadership should answer this kind of question and not to keep our people in the dark but to educate and inform all cambodians about what is going on with this preah vihear issue and where it is at now as far as the outcome of the talks, etc... and don't forget the media in cambodia can get involved as well because cambodian people need to know about what is going on with their country and thailand about preah vihear as well. thank you.
Hey, if the French is going to decide what should be our border, we should do the same to France to see how they like it.
i think thailand and vietnam is lucky. if it weren't for french that helped to demarcate the present political boundaries of thailand and vietnam, cambodia would claim back all of all loss provinces back from ah siem and mee youn already! so, they should thank the french for properly marked the present boundary, although, cambodia is the one that lost more land than any other nation on the planet at that time. so, what are thailand complaining about? should we erase all the present boundaries and redraw a new khmer boundary to include the great khmer empire of angkor? if no, then, shut your foul-mouths, thailand and vietnam! just because your ancestors were thieves against khmer land, doesn't mean it's right for you to continue to violate our sovereigned nation of cambodia! go to hell!
*All of you have place to stay.
*Food to eat.
*Someone to love.
What's more do you want?,The great khmer empire of angkor has kindness to your ancestors(Thailand and Vietnam)
With out the kingdom of Cambodia your Country don't exist.Do you understand?????????????
Many of have reasonable comments I like you all as a Khmer indovidualist and patriotic, I wanted Mr. HUN SEN bring this case to the international court one more time, if Ah Siamese trying relentlessly to stop the registreation process. This time we should reclaim all the Sisaket province to teach this thieves a lesson, otherwise they bully Khmer by using every availlable cunny tricks thief.
May God bless khmer all!
Robbing the Khmer-Thai's temple is not a solution to resolve poverty in Cambodia.
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