The conflict with Cambodia could help to unite Thais, even as the government faces political war against PAD supporters.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
OPINION By Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post
Mounting tensions between Cambodia and Thailand over their overlapping border area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple could be used by those in power to unite Thais and lower Thailand's internal political temperature.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's ultimatum on Monday for Thai troops to immediately withdraw from the disputed temple area dealt a personal blow to Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat who was visiting Phnom Penh for talks with the Cambodian leader.
If there hadn't been a crackdown on anti-government demonstrators, Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and his deputy Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who has already resigned, would have led the Thai delegation to Cambodia in place of Mr Sompong.
On Oct 9, Gen Chavalit, who has done many favours for Mr Hun Sen and other Cambodian leaders in the past, said he had already discussed on the phone solutions to the border disputes with the Cambodian prime minister.
"I spoke to both Hun Sen and Gen Tea Banh, the defence minister, that we'd better forget all the issues, turn back the clock to July 15 and start it all over again," Gen Chavalit said.
He apparently wished to see both sides return to the point where Thai troops had not approached the Preah Vihear temple and the adjacent 4.6 sq km overlapping area. That implied the withdrawal of Thai troops from the area.
"I have made all the arrangements and we are only waiting for Prime Minister Somchai to strike a deal with them," Gen Chavalit said. All the arrangements collapsed when he resigned from his post following the Oct 7 crackdown on unarmed demonstrators.
"Cambodia may be trying to raise the stakes on the issue for international backing as it has repeatedly tried to advance its claim on the border area," said Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the Thai Army spokesman.
The government's fatal crackdown on demonstrators on Oct 7 has intensified calls for Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda to intervene and bring down the Somchai administration.
But the calls have made Gen Anupong uncomfortable as he realises that post-coup issues would be too heavy for him to deal with, not to mention the risks involved in trying to overthrow an elected government.
In response to Mr Hun Sen's ultimatum, Gen Anupong and the other Armed Forces chiefs held an urgent meeting with Supreme Commander Songkitti Chakkabatr yesterday.
They resolved not to pull out Thai troops from the overlapping area in Thailand's northeastern province of Si Sa Ket, and plan more troop deployments there to protect the country's sovereignty.
A war with Cambodia would encourage Thais to turn away from internal divisions and unite them to fight the external enemy. But the threat that the Thai government may be left to fight on two fronts simultaneously, Cambodia and the PAD supporters, cannot be ruled out either.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
OPINION By Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post
Mounting tensions between Cambodia and Thailand over their overlapping border area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple could be used by those in power to unite Thais and lower Thailand's internal political temperature.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's ultimatum on Monday for Thai troops to immediately withdraw from the disputed temple area dealt a personal blow to Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat who was visiting Phnom Penh for talks with the Cambodian leader.
If there hadn't been a crackdown on anti-government demonstrators, Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and his deputy Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who has already resigned, would have led the Thai delegation to Cambodia in place of Mr Sompong.
On Oct 9, Gen Chavalit, who has done many favours for Mr Hun Sen and other Cambodian leaders in the past, said he had already discussed on the phone solutions to the border disputes with the Cambodian prime minister.
"I spoke to both Hun Sen and Gen Tea Banh, the defence minister, that we'd better forget all the issues, turn back the clock to July 15 and start it all over again," Gen Chavalit said.
He apparently wished to see both sides return to the point where Thai troops had not approached the Preah Vihear temple and the adjacent 4.6 sq km overlapping area. That implied the withdrawal of Thai troops from the area.
"I have made all the arrangements and we are only waiting for Prime Minister Somchai to strike a deal with them," Gen Chavalit said. All the arrangements collapsed when he resigned from his post following the Oct 7 crackdown on unarmed demonstrators.
"Cambodia may be trying to raise the stakes on the issue for international backing as it has repeatedly tried to advance its claim on the border area," said Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the Thai Army spokesman.
The government's fatal crackdown on demonstrators on Oct 7 has intensified calls for Army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda to intervene and bring down the Somchai administration.
But the calls have made Gen Anupong uncomfortable as he realises that post-coup issues would be too heavy for him to deal with, not to mention the risks involved in trying to overthrow an elected government.
In response to Mr Hun Sen's ultimatum, Gen Anupong and the other Armed Forces chiefs held an urgent meeting with Supreme Commander Songkitti Chakkabatr yesterday.
They resolved not to pull out Thai troops from the overlapping area in Thailand's northeastern province of Si Sa Ket, and plan more troop deployments there to protect the country's sovereignty.
A war with Cambodia would encourage Thais to turn away from internal divisions and unite them to fight the external enemy. But the threat that the Thai government may be left to fight on two fronts simultaneously, Cambodia and the PAD supporters, cannot be ruled out either.
12 comments:
The same way the war will unite Khmer as well.
It is always the case the Siam nver stop claiming this and that as their soil. A race of theives. Not a single temple was built by them, but Khmer. A race of no shame. Their history books arew filled with fictions.
They only stopped using Khmer scripts recently. A race of confused or no identity.
A thai race of siem. A siem race of theif. The only thing they can build is man made hole.
The problems in Thailand are not that two, but five as I can see: 1. elected government and PAD, PAD's opportunist taking under the King's help and the King-Military vs elected government, a triangle invasion problem with Burma and the Soutern insurgency. They face a high risk too. A great Khmer king, Suryavarman attacked Champa when he was around 80 years old. He died during his return from losing the battle. Similar situation now is in Thailand. So, please choose peace and stop sending the Yellow-badged soldiers in. If thais followed the idea of Chavalit (return the situation to July 15), peaceful solution could be achieved and that's a civilized country like Thailand should have chosen.
There is no peace between Thai and Cambodia. Thai want war all along. What else is called when Thai send their army to Khmer land?
A lot of top people resigned in Thai politics as soon as as each of them proposed a concrete and solid plan to resolve the boarder dispute.
Just from these resignations, we can infer that Thailand has no intention of resolving the boarder dispute as long as Thailand is not getting anything for its effort.
It knows it can beat Cambodia any place anytime and anywhere.
Right now Thailand is just attempting to legitimate its claims to Khmer territory through talk...
Thailand is good at talking.... During the 19th century, through talk, it managed to avoid being colonized either by the French or the British. During WWII, it managed to avoid fight with the Allies, even thought it had declare war, by talking..
Again, Thailand is talking and buying time.
Yes, Thailand is good...They wear you out with their serpent tongues...
Thailand is a democratic country. Whenever the leader is changed or replaced peacefully, that is how democraticy at work. It's not like cambodia before and during the election, a jo dump hun sen always use violent to threat, intimedate and kill his opponent. He's a mafia cambodian murderer. He allows hok lundi to rape, proststute and murder young virtnamese and cambodian girls. Look around phnom penh, you see all those girls were force to work as prostistutes for hok lundi.
And look around all prostitutes in Thailand to lure tourists to visit this "Land of the Ugly". Anything else to attract the world, beside Siamese daughters? What do you have beside, drugs, prostitution?
You are not khmer, but a fucking stupid Thai. You are the product of your Thai mother who was fucked by dogs, horses and other animal.
Thai big problem, but yet so simple solution.
Keep dreaming your all siam shit,one day you all will have no land to stand on.
An elephant with amnesia!?
Thailand might have to face with more than 2 fronts if the border tension with Cambodia escalated to a full arm confrontations. Thailand should not forget the constant southern unrest near Malaysia, a steaming pot that has been boiling much longer the new conflict with Cambodia that has been waiting for the right time to burst.
MG K. Walker
This issue of borders has already been ruled on by the International Court. Cambodia should go to the U.S. security council and seek a resolution against Thai incursion, also, Cambodia should file again in the World Court. Thailand has lost prestige for it's unjustified incursions into what is clearly Cambodia.
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