Saturday, September 20, 2008

The Nation: No need to inflame border dispute

Article appeared on 18 September 2008

Op-Ed by Kok Sap

The Nation bet its journalistic ethics and impartiality over PAD-Democrat Party shady politics. It shouldn’t have sniffed the tree the monkeys weren’t on.

For the real history of the so called border dispute, it was then Siam-Franco commission that imposed upon Cambodia from 1904-1907 on up that Dangrek Range was a divide. In spite of historical legitimacy and against its will, Cambodia had no say in it but its rulers recognized and accepted the so called Siamese- Franco border reality.

So the problem was not coming from Cambodia but Siam now turned Thailand that kept denying and questioning own past competence. Apparently Thailand is still mired by ethnocentrism and colonialism as the world begins to witness its internal Yala-Pattani deadly situation.

The 1962 International Court of Justice ruling said the Khmer Preah Vihear compound and nearby patch is belonged to Cambodia. In 1967, after arm clashes over Preah Vihear ownership, Dictator Thanat Khoman maneuvered agendas to create ASEAN bloc.

Up to now with chips on shoulders, Thailand seems to justify its position from habitual offence to croc tears-defense. To date it dangerously sends its armed forces to occupy Khmer old monuments along the so called border.

Thailand thinks it is Ok for it to assault others .Yet it is inappropriate for Cambodia to seek competent third party intervention to prevent arm clashes which most likely causing by Thailand politics.

The recurrence of faux pas politics to endanger neighbor in Thailand behalf is a violation of the ASEAN One vision, one community, one identity Charter.

The Nation said the dispute must be solved bilaterally in the spirit of good Asean neighborliness. I agree. But the neighborliness in ASEAN way seems constituting only ONE way.

The Nation said the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission is the proper mechanism to handle the issue. It might take time but it could end the border disputes peacefully and fairly. Well I like to say so and agree on this. Through observations in behavioral patterns, ASEAN is not quite ready to bake the cake without biting it.

To me if Thailand via ASEAN is so conscionable and moral, why it keeps crying foul and throwing tantrums at Cambodia for bringing unresolved problems to the competent International body for help.

Speaking of leadership and exemplary, Thailand is in much more of “you go” I follow “you” later posture all these times. May be it is time for ASEAN to mean what it says on papers. That is the only way to curb criticism.

The Nation is a respected voice in Thailand press but it shall never allow its just journalism and ethics to be exploited by the shady political ego trips.

In this inflamed matter, The Nation should be more sympathetic with the poorly and weakly Cambodia in comparison to too affluent and powerful Thailand.

So I say it is not Cambodia fault for not trusting ASEAN or Thailand in that matter. Cambodia is striving to do the right thing to protect its interests. Thus it should be credited in its attempt to erect the fence before the white elephant raiding its paddies, again.

26 comments:

SpicyGroup said...

Good Job the nation newspaper for giving fair fact!

Because of Preah Vihear dispute in 1962 and South Vietnam's border encroachment forced King Sihanouk to get away from SEATO's U.S. umbrella.

U.S. always gave biased favor to Thailand and South Vietnam, King Sihanouk had to go communist allies especially China, which even provoked U.S. anger that lead to 1970 coup d' etat.

How could thousand royal family members that ruled the mindset of Cambodia for two thousand years surrender easily?
Then, civil war broke out and over two million tons of bombs on a small country like Cambodia.

Miserable life of Cambodians and false monarchy support lead to the uprising of communist Khmer Rouge.


The whole world is just run by the law of jungle. The stability of weak countries depends on superpowers.

SpicyGroup said...

Because of Preah Vihear dispute in 1962 and South Vietnam's border encroachment forced King Sihanouk to get away from SEATO's U.S. umbrella.

U.S. always gave biased favor to Thailand and South Vietnam, King Sihanouk had to go communist allies especially China, which even provoked U.S. anger that lead to 1970 coup d' etat.

How could thousand royal family members that ruled the mindset of Cambodia for two thousand years surrender easily?
Then, civil war broke out and over two million tons of bombs fell on a small country like Cambodia for over 5 years, which was much more than World War II, according to William Showcross.

Miserable life of Cambodians and false monarchy support lead to the uprising of communist Khmer Rouge.


The whole world is just run by the law of jungle. The stability of weak countries depends on superpowers.

Anonymous said...

U.N. Pleased by New U.S. Support for Khmer Rouge Tribunal.
when Communist HO,Communist MAO,Communist Sihanouk pay back to khmer,we will have money and we will pay 500$+formation to each sodier khmer to protect our country.
May preah sreiy Aar Meitreiy save people khmer.

http://fr.youtube.com/user/maitreyaproject

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=KHb_K_tOS6k&feature=related

Anonymous said...

BON WEEK END!

http://dictionnaire.tv5.org/dictionnaires.asp?Action=1&mot=week-end&che=1

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=huZ1oiRMClI

Anonymous said...

ប្រយ័ត្ន៖
អាកុក សាប និង អា លី ដៀប ជាភ្នាក់ងារយួន តាំងតែពីនៅជំរំ ព្រំប្រទល់ខ្មែរ-សៀម រហូតដល់បច្ចុប្បន្ន។


Warning : Ah Kok Sap and ah Ly Deap are youn agents.

មើលផងដែរ (See also)៖

http://whoisdeaply.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

to 6:08PM
i found you link to sth between Lee Anthony and Ly Diep.
After reading nearly all, i found this Lee Anthony is very impolite!

Anonymous said...

If we unable to sovle the (ongoing)territorialdisputes through deplomatic channel amicably and resolutely, we'll utilize the military (recourse)as our bargaining chip to ensure our Cambodia counterpart understand our objective of joint development.

At this point in time, the ball is in the Cambodia's court. Cambodia can pick and choose it path (construction or destruction. Again, the choice is succinctly clear!

Anonymous said...

As always, the thai thieves have no shames--perhaps this could be the original of the word siam or syam.

Anonymous said...

Am not Sihaknukclans nor Hun ass kisser but Ly Deab hasn't that type of the man but accusing him,if Lee Deab is youn spy why the king of Cambodian journalist Poline Sott working with Mr. Deab Lee? And why Lee Deab insult Hun Sen and Sihaknu at every times,please open up your Chinese eyes and read Lee Deab again and again the leading news and the khmer nationalism only these two above are the best I wish I could be them.
Khmer refugee

Anonymous said...

To all Kmhers,

Why we mattered this case with Thailand, and not against over 100,000 Viet troops still occupying
Cambida, declared Hun Sen, plus Viet invaders continue to VIETNAMIZE CAMBODI.

Nona Chea Keatakors Reas Khmers ?

Anonymous said...

3:42 AM

When Khmer encountered problems,i.e. immigration or border,with our eastern neighboring nation (Vietnam),we are lacking of audacity to make statement about the incident; however,when problems occurs with our northern neighboring nation (Thailand), nevertheless -- we appear to have endless statements and opinions to express.

Anonymous said...

That mean for those who have good fact and knowledge about Vietnam encroachment in the last 30 years they should highlight it to the CPP government so the issue too can brought to the table at the ASEAN and UN security council for attention. These 2 countries has been sucking on Khmer blood for a very long time. It time for our CPP and PM Hun Sen to show his true "hero" colour if he and his government have one.
My concerns is all the donation is not going directly to our soldiers at the front and PM need to stamp his foot and get Cambodia's house in order f we are going to fight these battle in international court.

Again if these case go to UN intl court it about time that Cambodia reclaim it lost states currently being colonized by Thailand eg Sourin which was handed over by the French in WW1 as mentioned above and Khmer Krom colinized by the Vietnam handed over after WW2 by the go old French again.

So PM Hun Sen and the CPP government this is HISTORICAL moment for the Cambodian government to do the right thing for our Khmer people and for Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

i know, that was the past. i believe nothing will stay the same again in this modern day world, especially political allies. cambodia, too, can become anybody's ally when treated right. plus, the cold-war era was over since the reagan time in office. cambodia was long independent, and we do have our own national interest as well. maybe, it is time to make new friends as well as keeping old ones. after all, we are all in a new era of mending fences and making new friends so all our people would not have to suffer needlessly again like in the dark ages era. god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

To 4:13AM

When AH HUN XEN falls from power and all the border treaties that he signed with the communist Vietnamese government will be re-examined! The Cambodian border issue with communist Vietnam is long from over even if AH HUN XEN want to finish border demarcation secretly before 2008!

Cambodia will have to deal with the enemy one at a time!

Anonymous said...

In relation of international political, the strategic alliances are often necessary even in certain essential situations.

The history of our country since Angkor Wat shows it.

Facing the following hypothesis: The Vietnam and the Thailand sign an agreement to divide and check Cambodia, Vietnam to the east and Thailande to the west. And the Thailand signs an agreement with the Moslem thais of the south to help these Islamists to create their Islamic state to Cambodia and not in Thailande. And a secret agreement is passed between China and the sino-khmers for to check the economy of Cambodia,


Questions : which strategic alliances Cambodia must practice for to save to the better its interests?

Anonymous said...

In 1970 in the conflict between communism and capitalism, Lon Nol chose to do alliance with the USA because this is the richest one and this is the 1st military power of the world. The revolutionary and the King chose to do the alliance with the socialist camp: USSR and China and the Vietcongs.

In 1975, between USSR, China and USA , Pol Pot chose to do alliance with the China against USSR and Vietnam, and USA.

In 1979, Pol Pot and China chose done alliance against nature with the USA, the Thailand and the Khmer republicans of Lon Nol that do alliance against nature with the royalist against Hun Sen and the Vietnam and USSR.

And this is the camp of Hun Sen and the Vietnam that won the last word because an other alliance to set up between the China, the USA and the URSS.

Here examples of the recent strategic alliances and very instructive for the futures Cambodian politicians.


What it is necessary to remind is that the alliances tie up themselves and come undone according to the interests of the actors.

Anonymous said...

Sirimatak before dying said that he regretted a thing in his life, this is too to have believed the USA.

For us, he has simply to forget that the strategic alliances evolves according to the interests of the actors.

Anonymous said...

Regarding those who badmouth about ly diep and mr kok sap,

I think those who wrote those absurdities about ly diep and koksap are yuon kantop or yuon kantop slaves themselves who try to sew confusion among few Khmer nationalists rest. Ly diep may has a suicidal radical and self destroyed behaviors in his fight but he is nothing yuons. (he is against everything and nothing) Koksap, ly diep have theirs reasons and rights to rise their opinions against the crimes of yuons or against the tyrannical yuon slave regime which is the cpp and its alien rainsy party. The same they have rights to fight against expansion of tyranny and yuon slave regime in his town. These things don’t make them yuons or yuon slaves. Everyone know that actual Cambodian regime is yuon slave in which tops officers are ex Khmer rouge crooks, recycled by yuons.

I agree that Khmer people should not fall in yuon political trick. Fighting with the thais in actual context is only serving cpp or yuons kantop and get kill for yuons only. Wait and see how much cruelty and animosity these two ancestral barbaric robbers, yuons and Siamese, will show the world. In the past these two aren’t too different. Although yuons are best cool blood killers, born psychopaths, worse hypocrite, manipulator, ruse whose heart full of dark hated with no little sign of humanity in it as if they are born only with it deep in its blood.

Enough

Anonymous said...

This is not strategy of alliances that you relate.

This is insult that has not any place in a reflection politico-stratégique.

Anonymous said...

to 10:03 pm

wait and see is the strategy of those that have not any performance strategy.

wait and see is the position of the persons that are surpassed by the events.

And the position's evolution owing to the principal actors can return against persons that adopt this strategy type.

And when we adopt this attitude type, wait and see, we cannot criticize the government that acted, even so doing the errors.

can we criticize the government of too to be awaited, too supple, too reconciling in this matter with the thais when we wait to see?

Anonymous said...

dude, whoever you are, use your brain than Q. Try to understand people writting before jumpging like froge or turning it upside down. But if you say, you are a kantop or kantop waste, I cant blame you.

Anonymous said...

During the cold war, United States was actively redrawing Cambodian map in favor of Thailand and South Vietnam for supporting American policy in South East Asia!

Now if major powers like United States continue to redraw Cambodian map when Cambodian leaders choose not to follow American national interest and soon Cambodia will disappear from the world map!

Now Cambodian leaders can’t even approach ASEAN or United Nations Security Council in the face of the Thai naked aggression because United States might offend Thailand which is American ally since the cold war! Cambodian leaders must peruse more radical politic to protect what Cambodia otherwise this is the death of Cambodian nation!

Anonymous said...

The USA recommend the bilateral negotiation of this matter, because the USA do not want to support or the political opposition to Cambodia, or the Cambodian government and because Cambodia does not present strategic or economical interests important for them.

We have here an example the of alliances strategies that evolve according to the interests of the actors.

The thailand sees very well this USA’s attitude on this matter and the political Cambodian internal division.

The thailand exploits intelligently currently this internal division of the Khmers and blowing the hot one and the cold one in this matter.

The Khmer’s behaviors who live abroad, to the USA, to Canada, in France are not the same on this matter. And the behaviors of the political opposition (the SRP) are not the support to the government in this matter.

Which exits?

Anonymous said...

Ok, this op-ed piece is a small step toward enlightenment of some Thai people.

But while the tone is sympathic, this author should not patronize the Khmer so. True, Cambodia had not have many opportunities to develop its leadership to the extend that Thailand does, but the few that we have can and will detect deceitfulness. Case in point, this author should not have reprimand the Cambodian for seeking a higher body to protect its interest such as the U.N.

As a free nation, it has this right to seek help where it can...

Anonymous said...

Which penalties for a not international agreement respected by a signatory party if the superpowers are not to agree to punish? Penalty will remain a principle penalty without concrete results.

The USA never will punish his ally of always the Thailand. we are certain.
China will not intervene , if vietnam will remain neuter in this conflict.
China will not punish the Thailand because the sino-thais are numerous in Thailand and the Chinese economical interests in thailand are also very important.

In front of the territorial claim of the thailande, Cambodia is isolated.

But the CPP has an ally of weight : Hanoi. But Hanoi is -it ready to intervene for his ally while his security is not threatened?

But Hanoi can to allow himself to intervene facing the hostility of the international community? and in particular the hostility of China?
Hanoi always remembers that his intervention in 1979 to reverse Pol Pot is qualified by certain Khmers -pro USA invasion and not liberation.

So the territorial claim of the thailand on the strategic plan presents a big solidity: The Thailand has allies among the superpowers and the countries of the Asean, the thailand exploits the internal political division of the Khmers; the thailande skillfully exploits the hate of certain Khmers against the yuons, and the goods economical relations between the thailand and the Vietnam.

And especially thailand has a fire power that can assure for him the last word in case where weapons must speak.

Which stratégy for cambodia?

Anonymous said...

In the current border conflict between Cambodia and the thailand, the USA that ask the two parties to resolve this conflict by bilateral negotiation did not support the Cambodia against the thailand his ally while the thailand committed a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Cambodia.

The Khmers pro-USA wiped here a new humiliation from the USA. The 1st humiliation, these Khmers pro-USA have to suffer in 1975 facing the revolutionary communist khmers rouges troops , when the USA abandoned them by allying with China against USSR.

This one has calls this situation to wipe off the dishonour to the end as said exactly his majesty Samdech Euv "The cup to the dregs".