Tuesday, July 22, 2008

It's about time for Cambodia to stick to the border agreed by the Franco-Siamese treaties of 1904 and 1907

Cambodia turns down Thai request to review border lines

PHNOM PENH, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian side Monday turned down the Thai side's request to review the border lines, during the meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) between both countries held in Thai province of Sa Kaew, said a senior Cambodian official.

"We had good negotiation with the Thai side. We agreed with each other on one point and another, but the Cambodian side didn't agree the Thai side's request to review the border lines with us. We already had border lines with the Thai side according to the treaties signed by France and Thailand in 1904 and 1907. It was international border," said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Tea Banh at a press conference held at the Poit Pet town of Cambodia near the border upon his arrival at homeland.

"This was the hottest issue (during the meeting), but we just couldn't accept it," said Tea Banh, who led the Cambodian delegation to Thailand for the eight-hour top-level meeting originally meant to solve the seven-day bilateral military standoff at the border area.

Meanwhile, Var Kim Hong, chairman of the Cambodian Border Committee and member of the Cambodian delegation to Thailand, said that the Thai side insisted on saying that both sides didn't have border lines on land and only had border lines in air.

"We couldn't accept it because France and Thailand signed border treaties in 1904 and 1907. Actually, we already had border lines and they were stipulated in these international treaties," he added.

France was protectorate of Cambodia from 1863 to 1953.

In addition, Tea Banh told reporters at the press conference that the meeting didn't reach any resolution to withdraw the Thai troops stationed near the Preah Vihear Temple, but the major achievement was the promise made by both sides not to allow any violence and confrontation at the border area near the temple.

"Both troops won't mobilize and have to keep calm," he was quoted by national radio VOA as saying.

The two countries will have more meetings, but the date is not clear yet, the radio added.

Right after the meeting was over in Thailand, the Cambodian delegation held a joint press conference with the Thai side, saying that they could understand each other and the talks were held in friendly atmosphere, but nothing resulted.

It included complicated legal matters, so the delegations could not make any decision, they said.

Anyway, there will be no any violence and confrontation at the border area in order to guarantee a peaceful environment, especially for the ongoing Cambodian general election, whose polling date falls on July 27, they added.

Before the negotiation, both prime minister had exchanged letters, saying that the two countries should make utmost effort to prevent the border situation from deteriorating, so as to preserve long-lasting friendship and good cooperation between the two peoples.

Last Tuesday, three Thai protesters trespassed the border to reclaim the temple, but were immediately arrested. Thai troops then came in to fetch them, thus triggering face-off with Cambodian soldiers there. Bilateral military build-up occurred day by day. Currently, the troops there are widely estimated at thousands.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded the 11-century classic Khmer-style Preah Vihear Temple, together with the land it occupies, to Cambodia. The decision has rankled the Thais ever since.

The temple straddles the Thai-Cambodian border atop the Dangrek Mountain and was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 by the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is a good sign for Cambodia for sticking with the 1904-07.

Thailand will be shame.

LOL (Laugh Out Loud)

Only air border???
What the hell?

Are these Thai educated or what?

From
Khmer abroad,

Anonymous said...

KHMER HAVE ALL THE RIGHT TO SHOOT THEM FUCKER THAI AT ANYTIME. I'M A FORMER KHMER ROUGH ARMY IN THE 1970I KILLED A BUNCH OF FUCKING THAI ARMY NOW IS TIME TO KILL MORE OF THEM STUPID FUCKING THAI!!!!!1

Anonymous said...

This is getting ridiculous

The thais want to renegotiate a signed border treaty? Why dont we negotiate fom the khmer empire period, we just take all of thailand and send the thieves to china

Get the UN to codemn thailand

Kick out thailand from the UN
Kick out hailand from ASEAN
Kick out thailnd from cambodian territory

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Lets negoitate with the map of Khmer Empire.

Thailand have no proofs and evidences over our reclaiming cause we have them all.

Bravo! Khmer!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Overlapping interests

Thai nationalists fear that the temple's designation will weaken Thailand's hand, though UNESCO has said that its decision has no bearing on overlapping land claims.

Earlier this month, Thailand's Constitutional Court ruled that the government was wrong when it signed a joint communiqué with Cambodia on the issue without consulting parliament. Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama later resigned.

Behind the rhetoric is a grinding war of attrition between Mr. Samak and his enemies, whose ongoing street protests are a repeat of events in 2006 that paralyzed Thailand, before former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a coup. Samak is an ally of Mr. Thaksin, who is barred from politics but continues to loom over public life here.

Critics allege that Thaksin is cutting business deals in Cambodia and that his friends in government are smoothing his path. "This is a very sensitive issue on both sides of the border. The [Thai] government should have informed the people from the beginning. The suspicion is that there are dealings under the table," says Kasit Piromya, a former Thai ambassador to Washington and opposition supporter.

For decades, Preah Vihear was off the map as visitors steered clear of war-torn Cambodia. But the surrender of Khmer Rouge troops in the 1990s paved a tourism boom in Cambodia focused on Angkor Wat, the vast temple complex that symbolizes the country's ancient glories. Cambodia hopes to repeat the trick with Preah Vihear.

Until this month, day trippers from Thailand could visit the temple, which sits atop a rocky escarpment that is much harder to ascend from Cambodia. Both countries benefited from this arrangement by levying fees on visitors, but Cambodia eventually plans to channel tourists from its side of the border, capitalizing on its UNESCO designation.

For now, there are no tourists, only soldiers hunkered down around the ruined temple

Khmer should start this war right away cause the Thai is invading us.

HUN SEN go! What are you waiting for?

Khmer from abroad,

Anonymous said...

Two faces Thai!!

Flip flop Thai!!

Dishonesty Thai!

Bakk Jon Thai!!

Thai is Theif!!

Anonymous said...

Cambodia should not excepting bilateral talk with Thailand.
Cambodia should bring this issue to International Court and United Nations.
If Thailand still not respect the International law the United Nations will
kick them out from joining.

Another thing Cambodia government should not create any new map.
Use old map to against any borderline issue.

Anonymous said...

Dear compatriots,

Don't praise Khmer delegation!
They made a fool of themselves!


If the Cambodian side didn't agree the Thai side's request to review the border line signed by France and Thailand in 1904 and 1907,
Why Khmer government didn't stop talking with Siam?

For what reason Khmer government has still accepted to have more meetings with siam?

Can Khmer delegation explain WHY!

(Negociate means make some concessions to the other side and there is nothing to concede: our land is our land!).

From SAMREK CHHEAM KHMER NEAK SNEHA CHEART

Anonymous said...

DEAR COMPATRIOTS,

WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES WHY HUN XEN IS EXTREMELY ANXIOUS TO NEGOCIATE WITH SAMAK

AND DOESN’T WANT TO TAKE THE PREAH VIHEAR ISSUE TO the UN, the International Court of Justice or the Association of South East Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Forum.

I AM TELLING YOU WHY!

THE REASON IS HUN XEN WANTS TO HIDE THE SECRET AGREEMENT THAT HE SIGNED WITH SAMAK AND GAVE SIAM THE 4.6 SQUARE KILOMETRES OF THE SURROUNDING AREAS OF KHMER TEMPLE PREAH VIHEAR IN EXCHANGE TO GET THEIR SUPPORT TO LIST OUR TEMPLE AS World Heritage site

and further HIS OWN BUSINESS INTERESTS WITH THAI POLITICIANS (SAMAK, TAKSIN...) TO EXPLOIT THE TEMPLE.


HIS FIRST BETRAYAL WAS ON 11th NOVEMBER 2006.
IN SIGNING THE SUPPLEMENTAL TREATY, HE HAD PAID TRIBUTE TO HIS YUON MASTER, OUR LAND, OUR ISLE KOH TRAL, OUR SEA!

THIS MAN IS A TRAITOR TO OUR NATION!
REMOVE HIM BY VOTING THE REAL PATRIOT SAM RAINSY IN THE 26 JULY ELECTION!

Anonymous said...

To have the fucken Thaicong army on Cambodian soil is a disgrace and all of them should be fired upon by Cambodian army! The fact that the fucken Thaicong army are on Cambodian soil already and now they even ask for a place at the table to negotiate for something that they don't even have is unspeakable!

These fucken Thaicong are a fucken terrorist and the free world have an obligation and the responsibility to help Cambodia with weapons to kill these Thaicong terrorist motherfuckers!

Anonymous said...

bUT YOU DO NOT HAVE AND ARMY WHAT YOU HAVE ARE HOODLUMP!

Anonymous said...

"Nobody wants to see this dispute escalate," says a Thai military officer, who requested anonymity. "We are doing our best not to let anything happen.... Cambodia understands that the problem arises from domestic political problems in Thailand."

dont let the thieves use this exuse for not leaving
solve your own fucking problems

Anonymous said...

Good lord!! finally Cambodian official raised the Border Pact signed in 1904 and 1907.

Why Cambodian Official failed to raise the Border Pact with VN signed during those times.

Anonymous said...

the bottomline is thailand chose to ignore or violate the treaty of 1904 - 1907 and the icj verdict. with that in mind, how can cambodia lose this case? when it comes to laws, cambodia will prevail, yes, prevails or wins despite what seems complicated on the sufface, but again real easy by cambodia enforcing or upholding the 1904 - 1907 treaty and the icj verdict. god bless cambodia and all our beautuful khmer people. remember, the ancient khmer prophecy of the "churning of the sea of milk" on the wall of the world-famous or world-renowned angkor wat, from chaos comes great and beautiful things for cambodia. please have hope, my khmer compatriots, we will prevail above the rest. god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

MOST OF ccp LEADERS ARE NOT PROFESSIONAL LOOK , TEA BANH ARE LOOK LIKE A OLD FARMER , HE DOES'T LOOK LIKE A GENERAL
KHMER CANADA

Anonymous said...

WHAT A SHAME TO SEND SUCH AN IDIOT MONKEY TO NEGOCIATE WITH THAI!

THAI MUST LOOK DOWN ON US.

IT'S REALLY A DISASTER FOR OUR kHMER IMAGE!

Anonymous said...

If you want the Thai to accept the French treaty in 1904 and 1907, you will have to give Cambodia back to France. That is the only condition that they will agree to it.

Anonymous said...

In response to Thai bitch at 718am, I would rather become part of France than Thailand o.k.

Votre pays n'est rien mais une maison de putain!

KhmerNY.

Anonymous said...

That is fine by us, just do it, and we'll honored all of the French's treaties.

Anonymous said...

"the Thai side insisted on saying that both sides didn't have border lines on land and only had border lines in air"

where does one ever border line in air when you are talking about intyernation boundaries. It's absurd. Shame on ah siam for being so arrogant. Your time will come.

Anonymous said...

It's about time for Cambodia to stick to the border agreed by the Franco-Siamese treaties of 1904 and 1907....
So it means that there're also other maps and treaties, that Cambodia acknowledged but not mentioning about????