Thursday, September 18, 2008

Thailand ready to mend border dispute with Cambodia

September 19, 2008
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation


Thailand reaffirmed its commitment to mend border disputes over Hindu temples with Cambodia through bilateral mechanisms when the country has a new Cabinet, newly elected Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said yesterday.

"I will convey a message to Phnom Penh that we will continue negotiations to resolve the problems," he told reporters after a meeting with senior officials at the Foreign Ministry.

The two countries convened two rounds of foreign minister meetings in July and August in Siem Reap and Cha Am respectively to settle the conflict over the Hindu temple of Pheah Vihear and set a timeline for talks on a group of Khmer sanctuaries at Ta Muen.

Both sides agreed to convene a meeting of the Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) in October to discuss issues related to the survey and marking of the sector under the terms of reference and JBC master plan.

A third round of ministerial meetings was earlier scheduled after the JBC meeting.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday accused Thai soldiers of being thieves, "creating anarchy" around border areas, including at the Khmer sanctuaries of Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai. "We cannot accept this act," Hun Sen said, calling for fresh border talks with Thailand.

Somchai said if necessary he would call Hun Sen himself to explain the situation and promise further discussion between foreign ministers of both sides when his government completed its new Cabinet.

Thailand, at this stage, has no foreign minister. Somchai said he would appoint a person who knows foreign affairs very well as the new foreign minister. Former career diplomat Saroj Chavanavirat was widely tipped as the minister but Somchai declined to confirm this.

The new foreign minister is scheduled to meet with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly late this month in New York.

The case of the third temple recently raised in the conflict, Ta Kwai, would be discussed in New York, said the Foreign Ministry's permanent secretary Virasakdi Futrakul.

He said troops on both sides had been redeployed 400 metres away from the Ta Kwai temple following local negotiations. The border dispute must be settled by existing bilateral mechanisms rather than third parties as suggested earlier by Phnom Penh, he said.

Thailand and Cambodia, however, would inform Asean during an informal meeting of foreign ministers to be held September 29 on the sidelines of the UN meeting, Virasak said.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you proud to be Khmer? Khmer must listen to the foreigner right?
I knew Khmer leader always listen to the foreigner's advice include your majesty. When will you sart to make any decisions between your own people? I had a feeling that some of you are a real nationalist but can't be together why? Or you want to wait and see untill it too late? Your end Khmer's life are not far away like Laos. I'm sorry to say that.

Your good neighbor.

Anonymous said...

Right now we are leaning from our big brother Thailand.

The weekly decapitation from the Islamic insurgent, the PAD overthrowing Samak, the innocent of heart Bhumibol, the wise man Anumpong Ponchanda (pure as the king)
etc.

It takes time to learn all these knowledge of yours.

Former Thai.

PS: I still pray for Bhumibol in Thai.

Anonymous said...

Do Khmer seriously believe anything Thai say? Do Thai seriously believe what they say?

Anonymous said...

We believe whatever that Thai says.

Do you believe in my comment?

Anonymous said...

"The new foreign minister is scheduled to meet with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly late this month in New York."

-No Cambodian leaders should have any discussion on the sidelines with Thai leaders at the United Nations General Assembly! For any Cambodian leaders to treat the issue of Thailand naked aggression on Cambodia as a sideline issue then the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict will be dragged on indefinitely in favor of the Thai geopolitics to prolong occupation of Cambodia!

For any chance Cambodian leaders have in talking or dealing with the world especially at the United Nations and Cambodian leaders must talk with conviction and must not allowed any distraction from the Thai leaders to mislead the world about their naked aggression on Cambodia! If the Thai leaders are so sincerely about talking or negotiating about Cambodia-Thailand border conflict and they are welcome anytime in Cambodia! Again, If Thai leaders are so serious about any negotiation about Cambodia-Thailand border conflict and Cambodia is only an inch away from Thailand! So there is no need for the Thai leaders to distract Cambodian leaders at United Nations General Assembly!

Thailand occupation of Cambodia is not a sideline issue therefore there should be no sideline meeting, talking, and discussing with Cambodian leaders!

Khmer nationalism is the beast that can't be killed! The Vietnamese had occupied Cambodia for 10 years and they still can't kill Khmer nationalism! So if the Thai leaders want to follow the communist Vietnamese footstep in pursuing their expansionist policy and they are more than welcome but be prepare to send over 100,000 Thai troop and be willing to spend big million of dollar per day to feed and cloth the Thai army and just to let the Thai military generals know that all Thai military bases will be targeted day and night! And don't forget to bring the most modern Thai military equipments to deal with the wet season, the rainy season, and the flood season! Don't forget the million and million of landmines beneath the ground and it will be fought with the use of landmines! Not to mention malaria, typhoid, and blood sucking bugs, and leeches and snakes…

Oh please! Thai leaders want to prove their military supremacy over Cambodia? Ahahhahahhahahhah!

Anonymous said...

To 11:28pm,

Why don't you shut the fuck-up! You mother fucker Siam! This is the 21st century shit head! We are striving and rebuilding our strenght everyday. We are building friendship with all the supper powers right now, SHIT HEAD! The end of Khmer's life will never occur. The samething as Laos! KEEP ON DREAMING!
I think you should live with Amedinajad as you have the same stupit shit!
Israel is flouring and so is Cambodia! You can't even control a handlefull of Muslims down South and now you look down on Khmers and Laos.
There are plenty of Khmers living overseas like myself. We will go back and fight you mother fucker! The Jews can do it, so can Khmers!

Khmer Central New York

Anonymous said...

Preah Vihear is a KHMER TEMPLE, it is not HINDU TEMPLE.

All Thais should be stop to confuse or make the confuse about the call of Preah Vihear Temple.

Anonymous said...

My friend 4:19PM, Thai is alway confuse. It is its nature, in its DNA.