Sunday, July 27, 2008

The Siem Reap Talk: It’s Only A Symbolic Gesture


Opinion by Khmerization
27th July 2008

“Cambodia must make it clear to Thailand that, should the Siem Reap Talk failed, Cambodia shall not hesitate in bringing the matter to the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice one more time.”


The much anticipated meeting between Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers tomorrow to resolve the issue of the Thai occupation of the so-called “disputed zone” in Preah Vihear will be the talk of the Siem Reap town. As the Cambodian election is over, the Cambodian as well as the Thai population, but in particular the press corps, will be focussing their attention on Siem Reap. With the Cambodian people preparing to march to Siem Reap to demand a Thai withdrawal from the so-called “disputed zone” on the same day as the meeting, it will put more pressures on the Thai side to come up with a proposal acceptable the Cambodian side.

But from a pessimist’s point of view, the Siem Reap Meeting, the same as the Aranyaprathet Meeting last Monday, is only a symbolic gesture from Thailand in order to appease Cambodia and the international community . It will not achieve anything, unless Cambodia makes a substantial concession. The scenario would be like this: The Cambodian side will propose for a total Thai withdrawal but the Thai will refuse and instead the Thai side will counter with a proposal that is unacceptable to the Cambodian side. The Thai delegation has signalled that it will propose three solutions to end their occupation. 1). Not allowing the people to live in the area. 2). A joint management of the area, and 3). A partitioning of the area.

From a Cambodian perspective, these alternative proposals by the Thai side are unacceptable. No country on earth, let alone Cambodia, will accept to share their territories with any other countries.

The Cambodian delegation must be firm because there is nothing to negotiate. Thailand sent in the troops to occupy Cambodia’s territories and by international laws Thailand must withdraw its troops. As such, Cambodia must demand a total Thai withdrawal first before agreeing to any future border negotiations. On top of this, Cambodia must demand for a total re-examination of all the border lines by using 1904 and 1907 treaty to settle for all disputed areas between the two countries, not just the areas around Preah Vihear, but at Anlong Veng, O’Bei Choan, O’Smach, Phnom Preuk, Phnom Malai as well as Cambodia’s territorial waters and islands that have been allegedly encroached by Thailand. And any future border negotiations must be based on the maps and the documents of the 1904 and 1907 treaty of which both Cambodia and Thailand had signed.

Also, in order to ensure international recognition, the border survey to settle the border demarcations will be conducted with the involvements of the international observers. Thailand will not like this idea because of the internationalisation of the conflict and because the internationalisation of the border delimitation might expose more of the Thai encroachments on Cambodian borders, but this is the only bargaining chip that Cambodia has to counter the Thai proposals and its intransigence. Another bargaining chip Cambodia has is that, it has said steadfastly that, should the Siem Reap Talk failed, it will go back to lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council. As I said earlier, Thailand does not want the Khmer-Thai border issue go to the UN Security Council because it is afraid that more Thai encroachments on the Cambodian territories will be exposed to the international community.

Coming back to the Siem Reap Meeting, I am hoping that the Cambodian delegation will stand firm and demand a total Thai withdrawal from the Preah Vihear’s “disputed zone”. Cambodia must not accept the three Thai proposals unveiled above. Cambodia must demand, if the Thai delegation refuses to withdraw their troops, a total review of all border lines using the 1904 and 1907 treaty as the base, as it is the only treaty that Cambodia and Thailand had ever concluded. Cambodia must make it clear to Thailand that, should the Siem Reap Talk failed, Cambodia shall not hesitate in bringing the matter to the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice one more time. //

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. K,

I'm totally agreed with your analysis. No any further negotiation unless Thailand withdraw all the troop from our territory.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you . But I am pessimistic that after the election Mr Strongman will be reverting back to acting weakly sissy in front the yuan and siem foes, asusual. He he had any history of standing up to foregin invaders ? No to my knowledge.

I believe he will agree to hand over the area to the siem or at best joint management or partitioning the area.

Hun Sen has never been a nationalist, but a traitor. He is only strong and tough with his weak Khmer people.

Anonymous said...

Dear 6:51 PM,

I agree with yours.
Prof. Hun Sen will do like this and will declare peace with Thailand for the reson of peace and his 5-year more ruling.

Anonymous said...

Dear Unity of All Belove Khmer, Just question of hours, wait and see, should not speculate much. See if Hun Sen is really one of the three Decho ever in Khmer History? God Bless All Khmer inside and outside Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Build a wild life reservation there, if not that. Khmer land !

Anonymous said...

Those three points proposal by Thailand is a scam, a coercion and under duress. Joint management of Preah Vihear was unconstitutional as declared by the Thai Court and it is unacceptable. Cambodians village is legitimate settlers in Cambodian’s territory. Thailand must withdraw all troops.

Anonymous said...

i don't care who win or lost in the election in Cambodia, but I am very concerning with our land that Siam's incursion!!! Please don't argue each other because of the power!! Please look at our nation faces with Siam's incursion!!!

Anonymous said...

Don't argue each other because of the power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please look at our nation faces with Siam's incursion!!!!!!!!
Please all khmer people don't care with political leader if they don't concern with our land that Siam's incursion!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Once you win the election, kick the thieving siem oiut

Anonymous said...

Dear 8:17 PM

Don't care with who wins election.
You should think again. Leader is very important.
If Hun Sen again, he will prepare coffin for you. What do you think?

Anonymous said...

THE WAY I SEE IT THIS IS VERY MUCH LIKE AN " ARMED ROBBERY" IN PROGRESS IN A HOUSE. WITH THEIR ARMED PERSONNEL IN OUR TERRITORY THE SIAM WILL PROPOSE THIS AND THAT OR IT WILL NOT GET OUT OF OUR HOUSE. IT'S AN OBVIOUS ARMED ROBBERY. BE PREPARED FOR A MASSIVE SHOOT OUT, A BLOODY VIOLENCE THAT WILL TAKE MANY LIVES - QUITE POSSIBLE IN THE THOUSANDS. BE "FULLY" PREPARED.

Anonymous said...

IN SUCH AN ARROGANT AGGRESSION THE KHMER ARMY SHOULD "NOT" TAKE AND HOLD ANY HOSTAGE. DESTROY THEM ALL, BEHEAD THEM AND PUT THE SIAMESE' HEADS ON DISPLAY FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. DO NOT TAKE AND HOLD ANY HOSTAGE OR IT'LL BECOME A STONE IN YOUR SHOULDERS. DESTROY THEM ALL. MAY GOD BLESS THE CAMBODIA AND HER PEOPLE.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree with you but the most priority is our land. you must think it carefully before you said out. We can change the leader next time but we can't take back our land if we lost it into the evil neighboring country. If you are really khmer people, you really dislike some politicians who protest by making demonstration on the road. If you think it is right, it mean you care only the power and how to get the power but you didn't care of our economic that has effectied from it, the nation that faces with evil enemy. You must stop provoke all khmer people. All Khmer dislike some politician like this. if you really think of Khmer people, you should deal your problem by negotiation, no making demonstration on the road.

I am not CPP member, but I am a khmer, I am very concerning our nation first because I love my land, not love the power like you....

Anonymous said...

The best time to take back the temple will be when it is fully developed by Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

I am a CPP member. I was indirectly forced to be so. How you fight if your leader do not fight? How?
I don't believe Hun Sen do so.
Let we see next and next negociations with Thai. Hun Sen will make concessions at all cost.
Think of it again!
My party win, I am happy but not with HunSen as leader.

Anonymous said...

“Cambodia must make it clear to Thailand that, should the Siem Reap Talk failed, Cambodia shall not hesitate in bringing the matter to the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice one more time.”

I think Cambodia is making a demand like a retard. It won't help you this way. Do you think Thailand will be afraid of such coercion?

It will only jeopardize the trust between the two countries and ASEAN as a whole.

Stop acting/demanding like a kid, Boy!

Anonymous said...

What trust and what ASEAN? Thailand resorts to military muscle like a prostitute flexing her virgina. This is so girlish!!!!

KevinKhmer

Anonymous said...

10:05

well, thai gov should stop doing the wrong thing. all this problem should never ever happen. You can't just tell us to do right thing, if you can't do it right , and do the right thing.. pethetic

Anonymous said...

I am CPP also .. I agree that he should step down.

Anonymous said...

Expecting the Thai stop being an invader is like to wish for a dog to stop being a dog.

Anonymous said...

yes, make it like a historic talks like in paris or something.

thailand needs to start anew, first start educating its people the truth and educate them to respect the international law, irrelevant whether their people agree with it or not. thailand's gov't must be capable to control its unruly population like a good parent disciplining their problematic child or something along that line. you can't just let you children run wild, uncontrollably that like to cause problems for others. same concept here. let the international court of justice speaks about it, especially if thailand and cambodia want to settle this problem peaceful and bilaterally. otherwise, what use is it to keep on talking bilaterally, cambodia is so sick and tired of thailand's bullying us, so cambodia will just go to the UN council once and for all to settle this as talking with thailand produce no result as they still talk in circle.

again, cambodia is upholding the treaty of 1907 and the icj verdict and nothing less than that. if thailand still rankled or still having emotional drama about it, then there is nothing cambodia can do to help thailand's people with that. thai people must seek professional therapy for that kind of personal rankling. cambodia only accepts lawful orders from the international diplomatic community like the UN council, etc...

i think on behalf of all khmer peole, i can say that if and when thailand can respect the treaty of 1907 and the icj verdict, we, cambodia, will be happy and will cooperate bilaterally with thailand in according to the international rule, however, wait until that happen first and don't start putting the cart before the horse already, not in accordance to thailand's law, but international law that governs international waters, boundaries, diplomacy, etc..., othewise, cambodia cannot and will not trust thailand to do anything with thailand anymore. the way i see it is that thailand needs to be patient and learn how to approach cambodia diplomatically without so much bad attitude about this or that or whatever. cambodia is a sovereigned nation, not a vessel of thailand or whatever. not any other way, if thailand wants cambodia's cooperation. otherwise, we see it as a threat to our sovereignty and will fight back when attack. look, the bottomline is we are not in the dark ages anymore. nowadays, the world is going globally and thus the call to respect the international rules or laws is very crucial and i think should be required in the art of diplomacy. you can't just do what you please to another nation, no matter how big or small that nation is. and most definately, thailand must respect the icj verdict and the treaty of 1907, and stop using lame excuses like it is outdated or whatever. so what, if it was signed a century ago because in the court of laws, all laws, regardless of how old they are, still considered lawful. it can only be amended( i.e. added), however not alter or change in any way, especially at thailand's own free will like thailand is now doing or showing the world it is doing just that. this is so not right, to say the least. and stop mixing all issues together to make them look like it is a problem with cambodia already, when it is not!! first of all, preah vihear listing wasn't even your affairs, it is the affairs of cambodia only; and the so-called "dispute" are of 4.6 km2 (1.8 sq miles areas) in in cambodia in accordance to the treaty of 1907 already, so stop making problem out of nothing, that was a century ago, thailand should have protested way then, not one century later at your own free will. this is why cambodia has problem with thailand because you guys don't respect the international law, not to mention the icj verdict as well. you lost in the court of laws; move on with you business and stop bullying cambodia already! continue to claim our khmer preah vihear temple despite the icj verdict, the unesco decision, etc., won't help your cause at all, to say the least! start anew and go on with maintaining the good, productive relations with cambodia instead of making trouble for us, maybe cambodia can forgive you for you past aggression toward us. otherwise don't hold your breath. god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

10:05 PM, Thailand invaded Cambodian territories so Cambodia has the rights to demand it to withdraw, including taking it to UN and World Court. Thailand is scared of Cambodia taking it to UN and Court that's why it called for a meeting immediately. If Cambodia go to UN and court, they can probably see more Thai encroachments on Cambodian territories like in Anlong Veng, O'Smach or Malai like Khmerization has said. But the bottom line is, if you come to rob somebody's house you must get out before the police arrived, or you will be arrested. This is the same with Thailand in this case. Just get out before the world find out more encroachments by you on Cambodian territories.