Friday, July 25, 2008

The Affair of Preah Vihear

July 24, 2008
Opinion by Kenneth T. So

I want to point out a few observations that I feel is very important to the central issue of the Preah Vihear temple. The following are my two immediate observations concerning the affair of the Preah Vihear temples:

1. The press keeps mentioning that Preah Vihear was an ancient Hindu temple instead of a Khmer temple. Preah Vihear is not a Hindu temple but a Khmer temple built under the reign of Yasovarman I, a Khmer king in the 9th century, dedicated to Shiva, one of the Hindu gods. When the press says that Preah Vihear is a Hindu temple, it deemphasizes Khmer ownership and legitimacy to the temple. In modern time, the war of words is very important.

2. Thailand kept insisting on using her own map to claim the disputed area around Preah Vihear instead of the French-Siamese Commissioned Map of 1907, where the International Court of Justice (ICJ) based its judgment on to award Preah Vihear to Cambodia. The map was the product of the treaty signed by Thailand and French (Cambodia was under the French protectorate) in 1907. It is legal and binding. Thailand wants to use its own map that is not binding and not recognized by the International Court of Justice.

Cambodia is doing the right thing to seek help from the UN. Of course, Thailand does not want the UN to intervene because she knows that most likely the UN will side with Cambodia and would probably ask Thailand to withdraw from the disputed area.

Thailand is playing hard ball because she knows Cambodia is no match with her militarily. Cambodia has no choice but to ask the UN for help. With the UN help I don't think Thailand will dare to encroach further into our territory. If war were to erupt, Thailand would be condemned by the world and she will lose face. Additionally, the Muslims are now waiting for the right occasion to stir troubles again in the southern region of Thailand. I do not think Thailand can afford to have a war with Cambodia. Thailand may win in the short term but she will lose in the long run.

Thailand fears the UN because among the five permanent members, I believe Cambodia can count on France, China, and Russia to side with Cambodia. I am not quite sure about the US position, but I hope she sides with Cambodia. The UK may side with Thailand because of the long standing relationship with that country.

Kenneth So
Aryasatya (Sanskrit)
Chattari Ariyasachchani (Pali)
Chatuk Arey Sachak (Khmer)
The Four Noble Truths (English)

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your clarification over the ownership of the temple.
By right, the temple is khmer temple and international court said so.

Regardless how the 5 permanent members to UN want to perceive, they can't deny those facts.Uk would be in doubt,but they have to be really cautious about the outcome of their decision.

It is appropriate step that RGC asked for UN intervention. RGC can't play game of trading part of cambodia for called" WIN-WIN" game anymore.

Praise for your courage.

Neang SA

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much, Mr. Kenneth So. I always appreciate your comment and view of the matter concerning Cambodia. It has been an enlighten to have read your observations. You are truely an asset and a patriot of the Khmer people.

Best Wishes,

Anonymous said...

Correction: Preach Vihear is a Hindu Temple. I don't know why Khmers keep on arguing that it's not. Hindu is not an ethnic group but it's a religion that Khmers use to adopt in the past before buddhism and if you are educated in religion then you will know that Buddhism is a branch off Hinduism. Just want to clear up the confusion.

Anonymous said...

yes, and thank you mr. kenneth so. you're right that thailand is afraid of the UN because the UN is the law when it comes to a deadlock situation. i'm sure the UN will scrutinize thailand for their violation of the icj verdict and the treaty of 1907. also, the UN will condemn thailand for not doing anything to quelch or stop its unruly populous who seem to use cambodia's preah vihear temple for their own political gain, and their gov't didn't bother to stop or prevent them from doing so. it looks to me like their gov't is in it together.

sometimes you wonder is it the job of their foreign ministry or their military to deal diplomatically with cambodia. from the looks of all that is going on in thailand, i think they are under a military junta, worse than the one in burma or something as only the military is controlling everything the foreign ministry is doing. and for this, the UN should condemn them for inaction by their gov't, not to mention their violation of the internation law of treaties and the icj verdict that should remind them that preah vihear is not thailand's. also, the UN council can condemn them for invading a unesco world heritage site as well despite the reason ruling by unesco. thailand will be in deep kimchee when it comes to the court of law, i'm sure. god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

False Speculation: China will never sided with Cambodia who will back Vietnam in the China Sea territory dispute. Thus, if you lose China, you will lose Russia along with that. The US has shared many military experience with Thai and will most likely to stay with Thai. Plus, the US rarely stands with France on anything. Accordingly, Cambodia is already a sitting duck.

As for the Nazi's treaty that Cambodia has been riding on all along for the claim on the temple, its days has been numbered, and Cambodia will have nothing to claim in ICJ should the case be reopened.

Anonymous said...

look, the question is thailand violated the international law and UN will look into it despite some pessimistic view. why? because thailand knows very well that when it comes down to the law, they will lose really fast. please continue to be patient, cambodia as the process of law does take a little bit of time, but it will happen sooner than later. god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

nothing is secret anymore; we all can see what thailand is doing illegally.

Anonymous said...

i know, even the modern satelite maps have to reflect the 1904 and 1907 treaty map. this way we know we did not lose any land to thailand. this is why this treaty of 1907 is forever so important to cambodia. of course, thailand don't think so, but we don't care because we uphold the law and they violated the law of this binding treaty of 1907. and don't forget the icj verdict that also supported this treaty as lawful, and 1962, at the time the icj made their decision in favor of cambodia, cambodia was already independent from france, so whatever lame excuses thailand will use against cambodia, i'm sure the UN council will think differently from thailand. god bless cambodia.

i see thailand and their unruly people are really good at arguing with cambodia (the strong against the weak? as they often refer to france as strong and siam as weak and now look what they are doing to cambodia, the weak?); however when it comes to the icj, unesco, and now the UN council, i'm pretty sure thailand will lose big time. it's not funny anymore, isn't? thailand!!! god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely right..I am really disappointed with foreign media to use Hindu temple instead of Khmer temple. Of course our religion at that time is Hinduism, but we, Khmer, rarely called it hindu, we called it Bramanism.

I also think that the Thai will pay the big price if they started the war with us since its soldiers died in South almost everyday.

Well, let think this way, let the muslim take the south and we take the east...

Anonymous said...

Those are the issue that will be emphasis when talking to the Siam.

If Mr. Yeo have any other suggestion that might help, we are all ears. Please with your experience in politic I am sure we will all benefit from it.

If with help of the ASEAN and the bilateral talk with the siam is not successful Hun Sen should reiterate his request to the UN.

Anonymous said...

Thank Mr So,

You are very clear in your opinion.

Our government should clarify this point.

Anonymous said...

hindu is the new word for brahmana.it has just been created and used by modern indian bramans or brahmanists.

Anonymous said...

6:45, Thailand reserved the right to reopened the case.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry about that you will be visiting ICJ again real soon.

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to it.

Anonymous said...

8:29 AM
Dreaming, ICJverdict for Cambodia case is final.

Anonymous said...

Oh Goshhh, some people here still make an effort to try to use the term "Hindu Temple". May I ask, what is worth from your clarification? Are you trying to say that Hindu Temple is not a Khmer Temple? OR are you hoping that by calling it Hindu will someday lead to a justification that Thailand can claim the temple as its own?

Anonymous said...

Nice reading. Thank you so much.

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