Touch Yuthea
The Mekong Times
Cambodian human rights and development organizations, as well as trade unions and intellectuals, have united to call for a peaceful but speedy resolution of the territorial disputes between Cambodia and Thailand. The statement reiterates Cambodia’s claims over the disputed areas, asking that the international community be ready to intervene should bilateral negotiations fail.
The appeal came after a joint statement from Thai politicians, academics, human rights committees, students, soldiers and nationalists claiming that the ancient temples of Prasat Preah Vihear temple, Ta Moan Toich and Ta Moan Thom belong to Thailand.
All three sites are claimed by Cambodia, with documentary evidence – including the unequivocal June 15, 1962 the International Court of Justice decision in favor of Cambodia – tending to undermine Thailand’s repeated claims.
Cambodian civil society is deeply concerned about troop deployments that have resulted in a tense standoff between substantial contingents of black-clad Thai troops and the rag-tag Cambodian military.
The Cambodian statement notes the negative consequences of a clash, said Sok Sam Oeurn, director of the Cambodian Defenders Project (CDP) and director of Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC).
“If the military confrontation over the border dispute near Preah Vihear temple continues, the two countries will lose economic advantages including revenues from tourism,” he warned.
But, though he advocated a peaceful solution, Sok Sam Oeurn urged Cambodia to stick to the agreement between Thailand and France in 1904 that was signed by Thai King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V).
Ath Thun, director of the Coalition of Cambodia Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union, said Cambodia should file a lawsuit with the UN if Thailand drags its feet over withdrawing troops from the Preah Vihear area. He stressed that Thailand is violating Cambodian territory.
A Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center (CWCC) spokesman also urged legal arbitration citing the International Court of Justice’s 1962 ruling that awarded Cambodia control of Preah Vihear temple and its surroundings.
The Cambodian statement came as Xinhua – the official Chinese English language school news service – reported yesterday that Thailand welcomed Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s reported stance regarding the Preah Vihear dispute. Hun Sen apparently supports peaceful solutions through bilateral mechanisms, a Thai Foreign Ministry statement said Friday.
The Thai Foreign Ministry welcomed the Cambodian Prime Minister’s stance, “which is in line with Thailand’s own.”
“Thailand wishes to find a solution to the issue of the Temple of Preah Vihear in a peaceful and amicable manner, making full use of the existing bilateral mechanisms, including meetings between the two Foreign Ministers, the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) and the General Border Committee (GBC),” said the statement, Xinhua reported
Citing the shared 798-km-long Thai-Cambodian land border, the statement claimed that “differences of views on boundary issues between two neighboring countries are not unusual,” and that “this issue is just one small part of the overall relations between Thailand and Cambodia.”
Thailand reiterated a second meeting between newly appointed Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong, slated for the third week of August in the Thai central coastal province of Hua Hin, should make good progress and pave the way for a solution.
The first ministerial meeting took place July 28 in Siem Reap. Both sides agreed to adjust their military deployment but no troops have yet been withdrawn.
The joint Cambodian statement requested that Thai government officials, academics, intellectuals, nationalists and citizens study the International Court’s judgment, but asked the international community, especially Asean and the UN, to be ready to step in should bilateral negotiations fail.
The appeal came after a joint statement from Thai politicians, academics, human rights committees, students, soldiers and nationalists claiming that the ancient temples of Prasat Preah Vihear temple, Ta Moan Toich and Ta Moan Thom belong to Thailand.
All three sites are claimed by Cambodia, with documentary evidence – including the unequivocal June 15, 1962 the International Court of Justice decision in favor of Cambodia – tending to undermine Thailand’s repeated claims.
Cambodian civil society is deeply concerned about troop deployments that have resulted in a tense standoff between substantial contingents of black-clad Thai troops and the rag-tag Cambodian military.
The Cambodian statement notes the negative consequences of a clash, said Sok Sam Oeurn, director of the Cambodian Defenders Project (CDP) and director of Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC).
“If the military confrontation over the border dispute near Preah Vihear temple continues, the two countries will lose economic advantages including revenues from tourism,” he warned.
But, though he advocated a peaceful solution, Sok Sam Oeurn urged Cambodia to stick to the agreement between Thailand and France in 1904 that was signed by Thai King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V).
Ath Thun, director of the Coalition of Cambodia Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union, said Cambodia should file a lawsuit with the UN if Thailand drags its feet over withdrawing troops from the Preah Vihear area. He stressed that Thailand is violating Cambodian territory.
A Cambodian Women’s Crisis Center (CWCC) spokesman also urged legal arbitration citing the International Court of Justice’s 1962 ruling that awarded Cambodia control of Preah Vihear temple and its surroundings.
The Cambodian statement came as Xinhua – the official Chinese English language school news service – reported yesterday that Thailand welcomed Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s reported stance regarding the Preah Vihear dispute. Hun Sen apparently supports peaceful solutions through bilateral mechanisms, a Thai Foreign Ministry statement said Friday.
The Thai Foreign Ministry welcomed the Cambodian Prime Minister’s stance, “which is in line with Thailand’s own.”
“Thailand wishes to find a solution to the issue of the Temple of Preah Vihear in a peaceful and amicable manner, making full use of the existing bilateral mechanisms, including meetings between the two Foreign Ministers, the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) and the General Border Committee (GBC),” said the statement, Xinhua reported
Citing the shared 798-km-long Thai-Cambodian land border, the statement claimed that “differences of views on boundary issues between two neighboring countries are not unusual,” and that “this issue is just one small part of the overall relations between Thailand and Cambodia.”
Thailand reiterated a second meeting between newly appointed Thai Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong, slated for the third week of August in the Thai central coastal province of Hua Hin, should make good progress and pave the way for a solution.
The first ministerial meeting took place July 28 in Siem Reap. Both sides agreed to adjust their military deployment but no troops have yet been withdrawn.
The joint Cambodian statement requested that Thai government officials, academics, intellectuals, nationalists and citizens study the International Court’s judgment, but asked the international community, especially Asean and the UN, to be ready to step in should bilateral negotiations fail.
12 comments:
Why quick solution needed ?? we need to delay and delay untill people forget about it and share some lands/sea territorial to our clse brother thai ......
Excellency Achar Knoy Phd. Bandit from Prahok Chea Chamroeurn Unv.
Thailand has no legal grounds in claiming prasat Preah Vihear or Ta Moan Thom temples. If the UN intervenes Thailand will lose face.
Lao Mong Hei, Hong Kong
Why quick Border dispute solution is needed ?? we need to delay and delay until Khmer people feel boring & forget about it and we will share some lands/sea territoriry to our close brother thai ......as we used to make with
Excellency 7 stars General oknha Achar Knoy (Phd. Bandit from Prahok Chamroeurn Avichea Unv. PPenh)
Dear Respected Mr. Lao Mong Hay,
best idea of yours, but how will claim to UN, Noway..
with respect
Dear Dr. Lao Mong Hei,
500% agree with you, but how would it be as our government did not have any optimistic to solve it.
Thier personal advantage is more value than national interested, in addition; they are sheepish.
Reaj
Achar Knot above,
I agree with you. The hun sen strategy now is to drag it s feet like he has done with the KR trial so people forget about it, so he chikens out to sghare it with the siam, like he as d=sahred with teh yuons.
election now behind, so go dig the grave or build your own coffin, ashe loves to say to those who dares to voice about territorial integrity.
Cambodia must insist to Thailand that a third party namely the UN security council be involved or bilateral talks be cancelled.
Thailand knows full well that if they let the UN involved, they will not get a square inch from Cambodia.
Dragging military standoff at the border gives the world community a wrong idea that there are actually border disputes along the 800km long borders between Thailand and Cambodia. In fact, there are none. We have a clearly defined border signed by HM Chulalongkorn of Siam and France in 1904-07.
Muni Roath Khemara
It is agreeable to resolve disputes through peaceful means. Throughout our Khmer history, "ahimsa" or non-violence doctrine is equated to territorial losses.
It is viewed by the world that Thailand is a bully of Cambodia. Cambodia, in self-defence of her territorial agression by Thailand, has full right of initiating the first shot. The first shot is all we needed for the UN to intervene.
It is a clear violation of the Cambodian constitution that this incident is regarded by our leaders as a "Thai incursion" instead of a "Thai invasion" of Cambodia.
The Cambodian parliament must declare war against the Thai invasion immediately.
It is true that Cambodia is not a match to Thailand by its size militarily. But the real threat to our security and integrity is through deadlock bilateral talks. We have Beijing on our side!!! One fifth of all humanity is Chinese!!!
We Khmers have elephants on our side. How can we not win against flees???!!!...
Muni Roath Khemara
Non -violence, peacful mean is the best and polpular ...but the Patience must be limited.....I am unsure how how patience is limited up to when...
forever ???
Wars always detroys both parties and all involved...we hate the wars, we experienced in more than 3 decades of wars.....but sometimes War is the must to protect sovereignety
With China about to joint the dispute, the siem does not want to linger anymore, how strange.
There will be no war, but we are not going to lose anything to the siem.
What a stupid nation Thailand is. From now on you will sleep with only one eye close.
With the similar Culture tradition, and civilsation, Khmers almost forgot the past siiues with Siams e.g wars invation etc..we loved siams.. as wehad many remindersd in the past 3 decades of civil wars we as refugees are camped in thai territory prior to fleeing to 3rd countries, thais had some support to cambodia to restore the country after the wras and internal turmoil....
But sine July 15th Siams obviously have waken up all khmers to remeber the historic tragedies occured ......
war is unavoidable"the must.." patience/peaceful means are limited..
No one can stand quietly to watch the Siam & (perhaps) Khmer current leaders to play like this.......
Patience is always limited only Buddha or M. Ghandi who are always..always patient with their ennemies.....
Excellency Bandit Phd. Dr. General Oknha Achar Knoy(= Phd. from Prahok Chamroeurn Avichea Univ. PPenh)
The fucken Thaicong are using the diplomacy of speaking softly and carrying big stick! And I can’t believe that AH HUN SEN mother fucker falls for this fucken Thaicong diplomacy piece of shit!
I say if the fucken bilateral talk between Cambodia-Thailame fail and Cambodia should go to war to reclaim what belong to Cambodia and drag these fucken Thaicong mother fucker to hell! I would rather see Malaysia, Myanmar, and Lao advance economically than the fucken Thailame!
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