Tuesday, July 29, 2008

PREAH VIHEAR: Troops to withdraw from disputed area

Tuesday July 29, 2008
THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Bangkok Post


SIEM REAP : Thailand and Cambodia will soon withdraw their troops from the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple to end the border row which erupted after the temple was listed as a World Heritage site, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said yesterday.

After 12 hours of talks involving the Cambodian foreign minister and his Thai counterpart Tej Bunnag, the two countries agreed to take steps to ease the tension on the border.

The two countries will set up a committee to decide the size of the military deployment in the 4.6 square kilometre area between Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket province and the Cambodian province of Preah Vihear, a source in the meeting said.

But Mr Hor Namhong expected there would soon be no troops from either sides in the area.

"The military withdrawal will take place soon," he said through his interpreter. "The meeting was successful. It was the first meeting and it definitely will not be the last," he added.

Other issues discussed by the two countries included a plan to have the Joint Boundary Commission resume talks on the land border demarcation, a joint attempt to clear landmines in the area near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple and a promise not to use force.

Other problems not resolved yesterday will be tabled in the next round of talks between the two ministers. The date for the next meeting has not been set.

The Cambodian minister cautioned that the settlement of border issues would take time.

A Thai source also ruled out the possibility of resolving the problem overnight. "I don't believe that it will be solved in one meeting. But at least this meeting is a step toward the solution," the source said.

Mr Tej will report on the outcome of the meeting to Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his cabinet today.

He said the atmosphere at the meeting was good because he knew the Cambodian officials taking part.

Mr Tej and Mr Hor Namhong were once the representatives of their countries to the United Nations in Geneva.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is a major mistake for the Royal Government of Cambodia to negotiate with Thailand and drag the standoff this far. What Thailand did was clearly in violation of Cambodia's territorial integrity and against the ICJ verdict of 1962. The Temple and the surrounding land belong to Cambodia. We need the UN and the world court act on the Thai agression immediate. We cannot prolong this anymore.

Anonymous said...

Samdach Decho Hun Sen Should use Iron Fist/Steel Fist as he used to use within Cambodians..." But I think Khmer fight strongly only with Khmers...."
We have many Generals, Excellencies, Samdachs.. Ministers Deputy Minister Deputy Prime Ministers....

Governors..... Pleasde use Iron Fist NOT plastic Fist.."

The Khmer army is brave only with Khmer... this remind me about the Land Dispute with People in Cambodia... Thai understand well the Psycological Conditions of Khmers through land dispute while Armed forces are used to grab Lands by high Rank Officials,,Tycoons...I remember they also shot People Cows/buffollos when they walk around the Land of Tycoon Ly Yong Phat in Koh Kong... alot of cows/oxes...as animals were killed by our armies... BUT WHEN THE SIAMS CAME/COME IN OUR TERRITORY OUR GENERRALS ARMIES BECOME QUIET UNDER PRETEXT OF PEACEFUL PATIENT NEGOTIATION.....
"I SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT KHER ARMY DO NOT DARE TO SHOT SIAMS ROBBERS....."
"THAI LOOK DOWNM ON OUR GOVERNMENT"
Thi believes that Khmer Leaders will surrender.."
"..This is a National Embrassement"
Please remember Copmpatriots....


Excellency Bandit General Oknha Achar Knoy= Phd. from Chea Chamreorun Unv. PPenh.

Anonymous said...

"The problem comes from the same root, which is mapping based on unequal treatment by powerful countries in the past," he said (Thai Vice-Admiral Pratheep).

= There is no one on this planet Earth who has more irrational thinking and illogical reasoning than the Thai leaders! These Thai leaders like to twist Cambodian history to fit their need and their ego to show the world of how powerful and influential the Thai politic on Cambodia!

Now! I want to know. What is so unequal treatment about the Thai who doesn't want to be colonized by the European Powers? If the Thai were willing to submit to colonialism and maybe the Thai can get special treatment from the British or the French! But the problem is the Thai was never wanted to be colonized and now they complain about unequal treatments which help save them from colonialism!

So who can blame Cambodia for wanting to be French Protectorate which helps save Cambodia from Thai and Vietnamese aggression! For Cambodia being a French Protectorate, Cambodian people were never treated anything special more than the Vietnamese! Because the French allowed the Vietnamese to work as Cambodian government officials at every level in Cambodian government while Cambodian people were looking down by the French as being lazy, uneducated, and not hard working! So is this how the Thai people want to be treated under the French colonial master? Of course not! So what is the point for the Thai to complain about unequal treatment under the French?

Now that the Thai leaders are in the spot light on the issue of violation of Cambodian territory, The French map of Cambodia which recognized by International Community and United Nations will be used to verify every square inch of Cambodian territory on Thai side and the Vietnamese side to see if they both had violated Cambodian territory in anyway shape or form! Cambodian leaders can’t afford to have endless ongoing bilateral talk between the Thai and the Viet to solve Cambodian border conflict because bilateral talk is nothing more than a whisper which nobody can hear or understand including International Community or the United Nations!

I believe International Community and United Nations have a role to play in helping Cambodia in verifying the French International Map to end the Thai-Viet-Cambodian conflict! Otherwise the Thai and the Viet will insist on using their own map to violate Cambodian territory forever! At the end, I believe there won’t be peace and stability in the mainland Southeast Asia!

Anonymous said...

I do not want that people/publics Call "My Samdach Decho as A frog in the nmarrow well.."
Samdach should use all force physically, mentally morally diplomatically, politically and militarilly to protect our territory as You have had effort to protect your Power for some decades... Please Samdach.....
Do like you have done so far with Innocent Khmer People e.g in land Grabling....and with all political Parties to hand Power Gaining...."
Samdach I frankly ask you ARE YOU AFRIAD OF THAIS THIEVES???"
If so tell us franmkly we will unit our human resources worldwide to help solving this problem.. Come on .."

History will note your name forever......

Excellency Bandit General Oknha Achar Knoy-Phd. from Chea Chamreourn Poli-Technical Multi-Techn. Unv. Phnom Penh, Cambodia