By Ling Shuo, Xinhua
ANALYSIS
KHAO PREAH VIHEAR, Thailand: The Thai-Cambodian border dispute on the controversial area around the Preah Vihear Temple, an 11th-century built Hindu temple that was historically claimed sovereignty by both countries, is now puzzling the outside, though it is never a new issue between them.
The United Nations Security Council, at the request of Cambodia, was to discuss the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia in its emergency session. However, the Thai government also has sent a letter to the UN, expressing the wish to discuss and solve the problem in bilaterally.
With the soldiers of both countries now engaged in a standoff at the border around the Preah Vihear mountain, is the situation dangerous to the extent of an “imminent state of war” as claimed by Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong?
“I don’t think a war could happen, since we believe both the countries could solve the problem in a peaceful way,” Apichart Bunsak, a Thai Army captain based in the disputed area, told Xinhua.
Now, fearing possible military confrontation, the Cambodia authority has closed the temple, which the International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled to belong to Cambodia. While the Thai military has sealed off the area below the temple, which is the only practical access to the temple since the Cambodian side of the temple is a cliff.
Reports said there are about 2,000 troops, from each side, stationed at the border around the temple, about 500 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. But according to some Thai local media reports, rumors now circulating among Cambodians by cell-phone text messages said that up to 10,000 Thai soldiers have gathered, patrolling and beefing up security along the Thai-Cambodian border. Local newspaper also showed some pictures of heavy weapons that have been dispatched to border by the Thai army.
A Thai military official, who asking not to be named, dismissed the rumors about the number of Thai soldiers along the border. He said Thai army only sent several hundreds of soldiers there, while the Cambodia has a total of several thousands soldiers along the border.
However, a Cambodia military officer told Xinhua that the Thai soldiers’ number now based in the disputed area is more than that of Cambodia.
Anyway, in the disputed area, no signal of intensity was evident, though soldiers from both countries were stationed there and heavy weapons, such as rocket launchers, were also seen from both sides. They sometimes smiled or chat with each other despite different languages.
Gen. Jiradaj Kotcharat, assistant commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army who visited to the disputed area on Thursday, said the number of soldiers is not a main issue since both sides have already promised not to use force to solve the border dispute during Monday’s special meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee, though the meeting failed to reach any breakthrough except for the oral no-force promises. Therefore, both the countries have to maintain the force along the border, waiting for future assignments.
The dispute over Preah Vihear flared up again earlier this month after Cambodia applied the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) for listing the temple compound, without the disputed 4.6 square kilometers around it, as a World Heritage Site. The application was approved on July 7, despite Thai opposition.
Thailand has suggested Cambodia apply for listing the temple and some surrounding establishments as a World Heritage Site under the names of both countries, but Cambodia was awarded the honor on its own as the Unesco based its judgment on the ruling of the International Court.
Shortly after that, three Thais, including a Buddhist monk, were briefly detained by Cambodian soldiers after surreptitiously crossing into the disputed border area on July 15. The trio were released the same day but refused to leave the disputed area adjoining the temple complex.
During Monday’s border meeting, both countries cited legislation and legal technicalities as main obstacles in reaching any agreement on the issue. But local analysts said they need more time as both the governments are now at a sensitive time as Cambodia is having a general election today, and Thailand’s coalition government is preparing a reshuffle, if not a step-down under pressure.
After the newly fixed governments of both sides are born, more talks are expected to be held between them. Then, the military standoff could be eased.
But another possibility is that the Cambodia government could pass the issue to the International Court again as it did 46 years ago. As to it, Thailand’s Supreme Commander Boonsang Niampradit on Wednesday called on Thai leaders to consider that scenario carefully.
He said the Thai leaders should be extra careful about this as there were lessons learned in the past. But he hinted that Thailand has the right to decide whether to go to the court.
Moreover, Thai ambassador to the UN Don Pramudwinai said earlier that the government would wait and make its new plan to solve the issue after the decision of the 15-member-meeting of Security Council.
The United Nations Security Council, at the request of Cambodia, was to discuss the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia in its emergency session. However, the Thai government also has sent a letter to the UN, expressing the wish to discuss and solve the problem in bilaterally.
With the soldiers of both countries now engaged in a standoff at the border around the Preah Vihear mountain, is the situation dangerous to the extent of an “imminent state of war” as claimed by Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong?
“I don’t think a war could happen, since we believe both the countries could solve the problem in a peaceful way,” Apichart Bunsak, a Thai Army captain based in the disputed area, told Xinhua.
Now, fearing possible military confrontation, the Cambodia authority has closed the temple, which the International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled to belong to Cambodia. While the Thai military has sealed off the area below the temple, which is the only practical access to the temple since the Cambodian side of the temple is a cliff.
Reports said there are about 2,000 troops, from each side, stationed at the border around the temple, about 500 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. But according to some Thai local media reports, rumors now circulating among Cambodians by cell-phone text messages said that up to 10,000 Thai soldiers have gathered, patrolling and beefing up security along the Thai-Cambodian border. Local newspaper also showed some pictures of heavy weapons that have been dispatched to border by the Thai army.
A Thai military official, who asking not to be named, dismissed the rumors about the number of Thai soldiers along the border. He said Thai army only sent several hundreds of soldiers there, while the Cambodia has a total of several thousands soldiers along the border.
However, a Cambodia military officer told Xinhua that the Thai soldiers’ number now based in the disputed area is more than that of Cambodia.
Anyway, in the disputed area, no signal of intensity was evident, though soldiers from both countries were stationed there and heavy weapons, such as rocket launchers, were also seen from both sides. They sometimes smiled or chat with each other despite different languages.
Gen. Jiradaj Kotcharat, assistant commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army who visited to the disputed area on Thursday, said the number of soldiers is not a main issue since both sides have already promised not to use force to solve the border dispute during Monday’s special meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee, though the meeting failed to reach any breakthrough except for the oral no-force promises. Therefore, both the countries have to maintain the force along the border, waiting for future assignments.
The dispute over Preah Vihear flared up again earlier this month after Cambodia applied the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) for listing the temple compound, without the disputed 4.6 square kilometers around it, as a World Heritage Site. The application was approved on July 7, despite Thai opposition.
Thailand has suggested Cambodia apply for listing the temple and some surrounding establishments as a World Heritage Site under the names of both countries, but Cambodia was awarded the honor on its own as the Unesco based its judgment on the ruling of the International Court.
Shortly after that, three Thais, including a Buddhist monk, were briefly detained by Cambodian soldiers after surreptitiously crossing into the disputed border area on July 15. The trio were released the same day but refused to leave the disputed area adjoining the temple complex.
During Monday’s border meeting, both countries cited legislation and legal technicalities as main obstacles in reaching any agreement on the issue. But local analysts said they need more time as both the governments are now at a sensitive time as Cambodia is having a general election today, and Thailand’s coalition government is preparing a reshuffle, if not a step-down under pressure.
After the newly fixed governments of both sides are born, more talks are expected to be held between them. Then, the military standoff could be eased.
But another possibility is that the Cambodia government could pass the issue to the International Court again as it did 46 years ago. As to it, Thailand’s Supreme Commander Boonsang Niampradit on Wednesday called on Thai leaders to consider that scenario carefully.
He said the Thai leaders should be extra careful about this as there were lessons learned in the past. But he hinted that Thailand has the right to decide whether to go to the court.
Moreover, Thai ambassador to the UN Don Pramudwinai said earlier that the government would wait and make its new plan to solve the issue after the decision of the 15-member-meeting of Security Council.
4 comments:
These Thai Commander are really dumb.
If nothing get solved we will go to the ICJ yet again.
The ICJ will order you to withdraw you troops unconditionally like they did after the 1962. This is wether you decide to present yourself or not.
You guys really have no knowledge of how international law.
Cambodia will not accept any compromise that threat its territory, even less your unilateral map.
Your only solution is to withdraw your troops without any condition.
Duh! This is just another one of those pro-Thai analyses!
KHAO PREAH VIHEAR?? ahahhahahhah!
Don't be stupid.
The Article is from Xinhua, China.
They mixed Khao Pra Viharn & Preah Vihear.
in the court of law on any dispute, if thailand refuse to go to court, then the court reserves the rights to rule as thailand's refusal tantamounted to saying that the have nothing new to say as all of their lame excuses are illegal in the first place, anyway. don't worry, cambodia, either ways, thailand cannot win on their obvious violation of the international law, to say the least!!! god bless cambodia.
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