Original report from Phnom Penh
18 March 2009
A US State Department official told a group international relations students that the US remains neutral in the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
Stephen Blake, the State Department director of the Office of Mainland Southeast Asia, who is on a three-day visit to Cambodia, was addressing questions by students of the Institute of International Relations at the Cambodian Royal Academy.
“We know there is an issue over the border between these two countries, and we have told the Thais and we have told [Cambodia] that …both sides should meet and to talk about it and to try to solve it peacefully,” he said. “I don’t think you have to worry about the US intervening in any way, or doing something on behalf of one side or another.”
Cambodian and Thai troops remain in a standoff at the border near Preah Vihear temple, with both sides claiming a piece of the border nearby.
Both sides have failed to bring a resolution in rounds of negotiations. Border committees on both sides will meet in Phnom Penh April 6 and April 7 for more talks.
“If we agree, we can dispatch specialists for demarcating the Preah Vihear area,” Cambodian Border Committee Chairman Var Kimhong told VOA Khmer Wednesday. “We wish for the Thai side to have the will to solve the problem.”
Negotiations have broken down in the past because Thailand continues to adhere to a map drawn up with the US Army in the 1960s, but Cambodia follows a map drawn during the French colonial period, in the early 1900s.
Military officials on the border said Wednesday the situation remains quiet.
Stephen Blake, the State Department director of the Office of Mainland Southeast Asia, who is on a three-day visit to Cambodia, was addressing questions by students of the Institute of International Relations at the Cambodian Royal Academy.
“We know there is an issue over the border between these two countries, and we have told the Thais and we have told [Cambodia] that …both sides should meet and to talk about it and to try to solve it peacefully,” he said. “I don’t think you have to worry about the US intervening in any way, or doing something on behalf of one side or another.”
Cambodian and Thai troops remain in a standoff at the border near Preah Vihear temple, with both sides claiming a piece of the border nearby.
Both sides have failed to bring a resolution in rounds of negotiations. Border committees on both sides will meet in Phnom Penh April 6 and April 7 for more talks.
“If we agree, we can dispatch specialists for demarcating the Preah Vihear area,” Cambodian Border Committee Chairman Var Kimhong told VOA Khmer Wednesday. “We wish for the Thai side to have the will to solve the problem.”
Negotiations have broken down in the past because Thailand continues to adhere to a map drawn up with the US Army in the 1960s, but Cambodia follows a map drawn during the French colonial period, in the early 1900s.
Military officials on the border said Wednesday the situation remains quiet.
21 comments:
good, because it can be worked out. please be patient! god bless cambodia.
US should stay away! they already had enoungh bombard my cambodia, victims of 1975...
US should help rebuild my cambodia back to the way it was, after they destroyed my villages and they ran a way from us! and my beloved cambodia...US now must not trying to destroy my cambodia again...by the way those old military truck are junks!
US never wanted help Cambodia. In general, the US Government (State Department) did not Cambodia.
Open your brain my khmer brothers and think, why Cambodia was took aver by the communist one week before the Saigon, because the US military have had secretly agreement with Vietnam.
Correction:
the US government did not like Cambodia
Who can blame the US? Just look at how much US taxpayers has lost over pouk Ah potato diggers over the last couple decades or so.
4:07 AM,
I agreed with you 100%.
American records after records for being a racist even toward their own citizen.
Why would they care about cambodian. Beside, its due to vietnam war. Is why cambodia is destroyed and abandon by america to the hand of khmer rouge.
Thank you for your kindness to my people and the Next generation of the Kingdom of Cambodia,Let's bring PEACE to the whole World.
5:43AM is right! america is a lier and big lier..
US is interfering again...
The US has given Thailand a signal to continue its aggression behavior pretty much. I am ashamed of your policy rewarding the bad guy. Where are your moral American principals after all what you did to Cambodia?
don't get us wrong, khmer people don't have anything against the USA. we just want the USA to reverse its foreign policy to include cambodia as ally in this new era. i'm sure the USA can do a lot more to assist cambodia now, given cambodia had suffered a lot since the USA involvement in vietnam during the mid 1960s and mid 1970s. we want the USA to help cambodia develope in all fields like education, technology, health, military, infrastructure, etc... god bless cambodia.
I would like to remind you 9:28am . Want the US help Cambodia means: Fistly, Cambodians have to abandone their rice and have bread instead. Secondly, introduce Cristianity to supplant Budhhism. Thirdly, and the most time consuming, is to speak English nationwide and burry Khmer just like what they did to the American Indian culture.
How long this transition will take? And will the majority of those Cambodians be willing to change? Just mention a few, but the consiquency will be far more complex if the Cambodian leaderships opt to go this way and wish to achieve it in an unrealistic timeframe.
Dear 9:28AM I am feeling so sad to hear you pray for USA helping Cambodia, please scan Cambodia hstory beyond 1952- 1975, how much US GOV't helped Cambodia to develop as a prosperous nation compared to Thailand and Vietnam? Have ever you seen US GOV'T considered KHM as their valuable parnership? do you beleive US GOV't really want to construct Cambodia to be a stronger nation?. My dear Us always consider Cambodia be under armpits of Thailand and Vietnam, it alwaye under elbove of these two nations. Please think twice, I think you should pray to your khmer ancesters get more bless rather then to USA. Thailand is US's magic tool in the region. Why thailand is creating conflict with Cambodia today? who's behind? and why?, you will see more problem incite from Thai toward khmer then learn.
May god bless khmer all
Lately, China is having more biz than the US and China might say no to US not to interfere.
This counter balance of regional power.
Khmen/Thai
If no one wants to help Cambodia and Cambodian could go the same way as the North Korea and start building missiles and Atomic bombs to protect their nation!
Mind over matter!
9:43am, not necessarily, my dear. there are other ways a godly nation can help cambodia, they don't have to impose their own culture on the local indigenous culture like cambodia. if you live in the USA, you will understand what i'm saying here. i don't think the USA have bad intention on cambodia as far as destroying khmer identity and so on this the vietcong would do to us as history indicated, especially during the dark ages before the european power. i think most khmer people would prefer to have america in cambodia than say the vietcong bitches or siem thieves for that matter. i mean cambodia do welcome everyone too, but not really youn and siem as they have bad history with cambodia, but all others are welcome except youn and siem as khmer people are never fond of these two historical enemies which happened to be our next door neighbors. but that's another story. god bless cambodia.
I have to agree with 8:08AM! US is giving thailand a green light to continue encroachment into khmer territory remembered US always created multi problems all around the worlds!
victims 1975
Siem try and Siem will die!
Siem always succeed in everything they have tried.
To 11:40AM
Name a few of your Siem achievement? Oh don't forget to tell me what happen to your birth place in Nanchoa !
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