BANGKOK, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and its neighbor Cambodia have agreed to hold a ministerial meeting on next Monday over the disputed border areas adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple, and Cambodia would withdraw its petition filed earlier with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to ask for mediation, Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said on Thursday.
Samak and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen had a telephone conversation Thursday afternoon, in which the Cambodian Prime Minister told Samak that Cambodia would withdraw its request for the UNSC to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the Thai-Cambodian dispute.
Samak said both sides had agreed that the Foreign Ministers of both countries would meet in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Monday (July 28).
At a press briefing Thursday, Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tharit Charungvat said that Samak and Army Chief Anupong Phaochinda have reaffirmed that there had been no "military-buildup" by the Thai armed forces in the area adjacent to the temple.
The two also reiterated their instructions that all military personnel in the area exercise utmost restraint and avoid any violence in order to strictly follow what had been agreed during the General Border Committee (GBC) on Monday.
The meeting, conducted at the Thai border province of Sa Kaeo, produced no breakthrough except for a promise from both sides not to use force as a resolution.
Thailand's former Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama had resigned from the post early this month, following a court ruling that found it an unconstitutional act for Noppadon to sign the Thai-Cambodian Joint Communique in June, which endorsed Thailand's support for Cambodia's application with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to list the ancient Preah Vihear temple at the disputed border area as World Heritage Site.
Samak said the government would have to pick a new Foreign Minister to fill the vacancy left by Noppadon before July 28 to represent Thailand in the border talks, but he refused to elaborate on who will be the candidate.
The Samak cabinet is expected to experience a major reshuffle since it took office in early February since three ministers, including the Foreign Ministry head, have been forced out of their office after a series of legal battles and the government faced sharp criticism upon their performance on issues including the Preah Vihear temple.
The UNESCO approved the application from Cambodia earlier this month despite Thailand's withdrawal of support, 46 years after the International Court of Justice ruled to confirm Cambodia's ownership of the 11th-century Hindu temple, which had been claimed by both Cambodia and Thailand.
The two neighbors have also been engaged in a conflict about a 4.6-square kilometers border area claimed by both sides adjacent to the temple, an issue which was boiled again amidst Thailand's recent domestic political turmoil, as opponents of the Samak government claimed its earlier endorsement of support for Cambodia' s World Heritage bid would put Thailand at a disadvantage in border demarcation.
The atmosphere at the border has intensified after both countries dispatched more troops to the disputed border area.
Cambodia earlier filed a complaint with the Security Council to ask for UN to help resolve the border dispute.
However, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the regional bloc of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members, and the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have expressed the view to leave the matter be solved on a bilateral level, rather than to bother the UN, on the sideline of ASEAN ministerial meeting in Singapore.
On Thursday, the UNSC convened a one-hour special session on the Thai-Cambodia border row upon Cambodia's request to decide whether to interfere, but has postponed a decision, according to Thai Ambassador to the UN Don Pramudwinai.
Samak and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen had a telephone conversation Thursday afternoon, in which the Cambodian Prime Minister told Samak that Cambodia would withdraw its request for the UNSC to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the Thai-Cambodian dispute.
Samak said both sides had agreed that the Foreign Ministers of both countries would meet in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Monday (July 28).
At a press briefing Thursday, Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tharit Charungvat said that Samak and Army Chief Anupong Phaochinda have reaffirmed that there had been no "military-buildup" by the Thai armed forces in the area adjacent to the temple.
The two also reiterated their instructions that all military personnel in the area exercise utmost restraint and avoid any violence in order to strictly follow what had been agreed during the General Border Committee (GBC) on Monday.
The meeting, conducted at the Thai border province of Sa Kaeo, produced no breakthrough except for a promise from both sides not to use force as a resolution.
Thailand's former Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama had resigned from the post early this month, following a court ruling that found it an unconstitutional act for Noppadon to sign the Thai-Cambodian Joint Communique in June, which endorsed Thailand's support for Cambodia's application with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to list the ancient Preah Vihear temple at the disputed border area as World Heritage Site.
Samak said the government would have to pick a new Foreign Minister to fill the vacancy left by Noppadon before July 28 to represent Thailand in the border talks, but he refused to elaborate on who will be the candidate.
The Samak cabinet is expected to experience a major reshuffle since it took office in early February since three ministers, including the Foreign Ministry head, have been forced out of their office after a series of legal battles and the government faced sharp criticism upon their performance on issues including the Preah Vihear temple.
The UNESCO approved the application from Cambodia earlier this month despite Thailand's withdrawal of support, 46 years after the International Court of Justice ruled to confirm Cambodia's ownership of the 11th-century Hindu temple, which had been claimed by both Cambodia and Thailand.
The two neighbors have also been engaged in a conflict about a 4.6-square kilometers border area claimed by both sides adjacent to the temple, an issue which was boiled again amidst Thailand's recent domestic political turmoil, as opponents of the Samak government claimed its earlier endorsement of support for Cambodia' s World Heritage bid would put Thailand at a disadvantage in border demarcation.
The atmosphere at the border has intensified after both countries dispatched more troops to the disputed border area.
Cambodia earlier filed a complaint with the Security Council to ask for UN to help resolve the border dispute.
However, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the regional bloc of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members, and the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have expressed the view to leave the matter be solved on a bilateral level, rather than to bother the UN, on the sideline of ASEAN ministerial meeting in Singapore.
On Thursday, the UNSC convened a one-hour special session on the Thai-Cambodia border row upon Cambodia's request to decide whether to interfere, but has postponed a decision, according to Thai Ambassador to the UN Don Pramudwinai.
7 comments:
I'm Khmer, but if this decision is true, then the Hun Sen Khmer government is very stupid as I thought. He only care about his position and personal gain and not nation gain.
ALl Khmer, vote him out this Sunday.
Samdech Preah Maha Decho Hun Sen will rule for life. He is our great
Hero The father of peace.
Vote for CPP or not on this 28th he still Priminister do the talk on Preah Vihear issue..
Sir Prime Minister M. HUN SEN;
Allow me to say this to you, because the defence of our country concerns all the patriotic Cambodians and not only the political parties.
In the bilateral negotiation, thais tries to test our will to make or not the war if they do not remove their troops of our territories.
When thais notices our weakness or our division on this point, thais continues to show themselves intransigence and will not to withdraw their troops.
I think that the appeals of the members of our government to the population to remain quiet, not to boycott thais products and absence of the hostile and energetic reactions of the other politicians of the opposition are a tactical error in the difficult bilateral negotiation which opens with thais.
I think the contrary we have to show in the thais that we are very resolute to make war to defend our territory, because we are assaulted and victims and thais are aggressors.
It is nécessery to fight on the diplomatic and judicial plan, but also to decree the general mobilization of the population, to prepare the spirits for a war with thais, to call to the boycotts of thais's products, to release the separatist Moslem thais detained in our prisons for terrorism.
Our objective is not the war of conquest, but the war to knock down the corrupt thais politicians in trouble and who look for a release to restore a new legitimacy in a military adventure.
This political reality is going to be daylight as the war settles down over time.
Because The population thais even if it is patriot, it is not a dupe. And the unfortunate military adventure will turn around against their partisans during the next thais election.
I notice with anxiety, in this aggression thais, we showed the signs of weaknesses.
There is no peace if one of the camps do not want the peace!
The troops thais settled down on the Khmer territory and begin to strengthen their position: the troops thais do not withdraw!
It is necessary to see the reality in front.
The thailande already gets ready for the war with Cambodia!
Do not made to much illusion on the issue of the meeting of the UNO’s Security Council. It will be powerless words in front of the thai’s intransigence . The bilateral negotiations, they are only political labourers to sound the will of the other camp to make or not the war.
It is necessary to know that the bastard thais’s king faced at the moment a crisis of legitimacy of his authority. This king supported coup d'état knocking down ex-Prime Minister Thashinawatra . Thashin and his partisans are again on returning to the power in thailande now.
The thailande also faces as all the countries capitalist a large-scale economic crisis.
The thailande also faces the guerrilla warfare of the Muslims in the South who fight for their autonomy.
The temptation is big for this king's bastard, his clan and his corrupt military to find the outlet to diver all the dissatisfactions which rise and the civil war: it is the aggression against our country Cambodia.
A military victory against our country even temporary will give the prestige to this bastard king and his military.
The thai’s political opposition which tries to negotiate peacefully with Cambodia will be eliminated in that case .
And so the war is unavoidable!
We have to all unite and we have to all get ready for this aggression.
To defend our homeland is that we have to do.
To live in the dignity and to die in the honor it is our motto.
The children of the khmer homeland, our day of glory came!
True, but also there can be no peace if one is too greedy to keep the temple and haven't got a drop of proof other then the Nazi made map.
Stupid Issan dude again. Well, at least you did your homework about the Issan region, which is in the north eastern of Thailand. Issan Province does not exist. Only Preah Vihear Province does. We Khmers don't want the dispute gets out hand either. So, the Thais solders should withdraw back the status quo before July 15. Of course, you guys will gain profits too from the listing of the temple. The secrete deal the Thailand and Cambodia did was to let Cambodia own the temple and the rich Thais can build hotels and Casinos to make money from tourists and gamblers. This is called joint development. You understand? You people living the region can come and visit as well. Don't worry, you have to pay the fee to get in.
From Khmer Issan living in Preah Vihear Province.
HOW STUPID YOU ARE, 1:22AM!
FROM WHAT YOU SAID, YOU PROVE TO BE A BRAINLESS MAN.
IN THIS MORDERN DAY, NO COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WANTS THE SAME LEADER TO RULE THE COUNTRY FOR LIFE.
I DARE SAY THAT IF HUN SEN RULES FOR ONE MORE MANDATE, CAMBODIA COUNTRY WILL MEET MORE DISASTERS OF CORRUPTION, HIGH INFLATION, SOCIAL INJUSTIC, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND VARIETY OF DEBAUCHERY IN THE SOCIETY.
PEOPLE, IF YOU WANT OUR COUNTRY TO BE PROSPEROUS, PLEASE DO NOT VOTE FOR DICTATOR HUN SEN. YOU HAVE TO VOTE HIM OUT AND SHOULD SELECT AN IDEAL MAN WHO IS SUITED TO BE THE COUNTRY LEADER. HE IS MR. SAM RAINSY.
DOWN WITH HUN SEN AND CPP!!
BRAVO, SAM RAINSY PARTY!!
LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY!!
THANKS,
KHMER DEMOCRACY
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