Bangkok Post EDITORIAL
Thailand owes a large bowl of credit to one of its former civil servants. Tej Bunnag, who already had served the country over a long career in professional service, came out of retirement to accept the most prickly political post in today's government, as foreign minister.
Immediately, he put the wheels back on the rapidly disintegrating issue of the Preah Vihear temple. Authorities must now implement the deal Mr Tej negotiated with Cambodia - to the letter, but also in spirit.
It is hard to imagine a more difficult position than the one Mr Tej assumed on July 25. His predecessor Noppadon Pattama had just been forced to resign; no cabinet member dared take the post, not even Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, on a caretaker basis. The Constitution Court had recently ruled that Mr Noppadon and the government had broken the supreme law by failing to submit to parliament its support for Cambodia's application to list Preah Vihear as a United Nations-supported World Heritage Site.
Appointed on Saturday, sworn into office during an audience with His Majesty the King on Sunday, Mr Tej and his team were in Siem Reap on Monday facing their counterparts on home turf. Under this pressure, at a 12-hour negotiating session, Mr Tej hammered out a satisfactory and fair agreement which had evaded previous meetings and participants.
This agreement aims to cool the ugly nationalism on both sides and end the dangerous military confrontation. It also can establish a reasonable atmosphere for future meetings on Preah Vihear - especially the overlapping territory around the temple itself.
Mr Tej has had a brave and successful debut as a cabinet minister. But work has barely started on this new chapter in the long and sometimes dangerous issue of the Preah Vihear temple and grounds.
Clearly, the most urgent task is to move Cambodian and Thai soldiers back from lines which could spark a confrontation. Both groups are commanded by responsible officers, and are aware of their orders to neither provoke nor begin hostilities. Accidents and misunderstandings occur, however, and it is vital to get some space between the two national armies.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said last week it is up to the Thai forces to move back first. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Army commander Anupong Paojinda noted no new orders have been given on either side. The insistence that one side must "go first", as the Khmer leader said, seems petulant.
A withdrawal to safer positions should be mutual - a point specifically made in the negotiations between Mr Tej and his counterpart Hor Namhong at the Siem Reap meeting. All it should take for a pull-back is authorisation from the political leaders in Bangkok and Phnom Penh, using the spirit of the Siem Reap agreement. After that, the local commanders can work out the exact form of a withdrawal everyone agrees on, ensuring that both sides live up to the letter of the pact.
Mr Tej's spectacular start in a job that no one wanted will continue as long as there is some good will on all sides. Presumably, he will continue as foreign minister after the cabinet shakeup. His lifetime of experience as a foreign affairs specialist will enhance his standing both within the ministry and in the foreign community.
He also will need backing from political quarters, including opposition when warranted. Both the Democrats in parliament and the People's Alliance for Democracy in the streets must recognise there can only be one voice when it comes to defending Thai interests in the world community.
Immediately, he put the wheels back on the rapidly disintegrating issue of the Preah Vihear temple. Authorities must now implement the deal Mr Tej negotiated with Cambodia - to the letter, but also in spirit.
It is hard to imagine a more difficult position than the one Mr Tej assumed on July 25. His predecessor Noppadon Pattama had just been forced to resign; no cabinet member dared take the post, not even Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, on a caretaker basis. The Constitution Court had recently ruled that Mr Noppadon and the government had broken the supreme law by failing to submit to parliament its support for Cambodia's application to list Preah Vihear as a United Nations-supported World Heritage Site.
Appointed on Saturday, sworn into office during an audience with His Majesty the King on Sunday, Mr Tej and his team were in Siem Reap on Monday facing their counterparts on home turf. Under this pressure, at a 12-hour negotiating session, Mr Tej hammered out a satisfactory and fair agreement which had evaded previous meetings and participants.
This agreement aims to cool the ugly nationalism on both sides and end the dangerous military confrontation. It also can establish a reasonable atmosphere for future meetings on Preah Vihear - especially the overlapping territory around the temple itself.
Mr Tej has had a brave and successful debut as a cabinet minister. But work has barely started on this new chapter in the long and sometimes dangerous issue of the Preah Vihear temple and grounds.
Clearly, the most urgent task is to move Cambodian and Thai soldiers back from lines which could spark a confrontation. Both groups are commanded by responsible officers, and are aware of their orders to neither provoke nor begin hostilities. Accidents and misunderstandings occur, however, and it is vital to get some space between the two national armies.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said last week it is up to the Thai forces to move back first. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Army commander Anupong Paojinda noted no new orders have been given on either side. The insistence that one side must "go first", as the Khmer leader said, seems petulant.
A withdrawal to safer positions should be mutual - a point specifically made in the negotiations between Mr Tej and his counterpart Hor Namhong at the Siem Reap meeting. All it should take for a pull-back is authorisation from the political leaders in Bangkok and Phnom Penh, using the spirit of the Siem Reap agreement. After that, the local commanders can work out the exact form of a withdrawal everyone agrees on, ensuring that both sides live up to the letter of the pact.
Mr Tej's spectacular start in a job that no one wanted will continue as long as there is some good will on all sides. Presumably, he will continue as foreign minister after the cabinet shakeup. His lifetime of experience as a foreign affairs specialist will enhance his standing both within the ministry and in the foreign community.
He also will need backing from political quarters, including opposition when warranted. Both the Democrats in parliament and the People's Alliance for Democracy in the streets must recognise there can only be one voice when it comes to defending Thai interests in the world community.
3 comments:
Thai interest is to send army to Khmer land, violated Khmer soverign. Good to be aggressor, for now anyway. Khmer land is holy land, and may all invaders crumple to ashe.
Long live Khmer!
Your Lady of Governmet use Black Magic /margic Spell Ha Ha....
This is a Sign of Surrender........
Wichai Rungrat
remember these Khmer are experieces fighter//
Khab Khun Kab 12:11pm Khmer are expierienced Fighters But experience only with YOUR FELLOW KHAM/Khmers....With Thais is far differenmt..
And it is not just experiences in war But YOU NEED GOOD LEADERS/with capability nationalisdtic... TO LEAD YOU TO FIGHT .. OTHERWISE YOU WOULD ATTACK KHMERS AND KILL 3 MORE MILLIONS KHMERS AS KR TIME..
You need economic capability....your leader just loan money from foreigners... how can you fight against khun thais...?"
Wichai Rung Rat
Krung thep Mohanokorn
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