By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation
For Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, relief after the anti-graft body's decision over the Preah Vihear case yesterday - he does not need to dump a number of his cabinet members.
But he is still left with the uphill task of mending sour relations with Cambodia.
Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kajornprasart, Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Phataraprasit and Information and Technology Minister Ranongruk Suwunchwee, who joined Samak Sundaravej's cabinet last year, escaped the National Anti-Corruption Commission's verdict.
The commission found legal grounds to file a lawsuit against only Samak and his foreign minister Noppadon Pattama for their support for Cambodia's proposal to list the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site.
Samak's cabinet allowed Noppadon to sign a joint communique with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An to support the World Heritage inscription in 2008, without approval from Parliament, in accordance with Article 190 of the Constitution.
In Thailand, legal judgement is always subject to the political situation. As politics have changed, many people who once sat in the same boat with Samak and Noppadon are off the hook since they have chosen to sit in another boat with the current government.
From the anti-graft body's perspective, the cabinet members did not need to share responsibility for the decision since they obtained information only from Noppadon, as did civil servants who handled the case. It seemed to the commission Noppadon did it alone, but Samak had to take responsibility as he was the top boss. It sounded strange other concerned officials knew nothing - but that's the anti-graft body's judgement.
As the ministers are freed, there is no legal question whether they should retain their positions in the cabinet following the anti-graft commission's decision. The Prime Minister is not obliged to make any decision on the case.
However, Abhisit has other parallel problems to fix, since the sour relations with Cambodia remain. They are likely to get more complicated as Prime Minister Hun Sen makes tough comments from Phnom Penh over the dispute at Preah Vihear.
He made a series of threats to the Thai government, all in only one speech on Monday. He threatened to skip the Asean summit in Cha-Am/Hua Hin in late October if the controversial Preah Vihear issue was not over. He would raise the issue before Asean and the United Nations Security Council unless it had been solved. He vowed to use force against any Thai people, military or civilian, who invaded the disputed area adjacent to the Hindu temple.
Usually, strongman Hun Sen does not make blank threats. He does what he says. Cambodia has already forwarded the issue of possible conflict over the area to the UN Security Council and tried to raise it during an Asean ministerial meeting in Singapore last year.
Two border skirmishes in October last year and April this year, which killed seven soldiers on both sides, have already proved Hun Sen's war weapon is not a toy gun.
The Asean summit is nothing to him. With or without Hun Sen, the summit would make no difference - but Prime Minister Abhisit really needs Hun Sen's presence since he is the chair and Thailand the host. Hun Sen might come to the summit eventually but it really hurts the Asean spirit when the chair is in conflict with a member.
Prime Minister Abhisit's advisers might whisper to him that Hun Sen made a nonsense statement for domestic consumption to gain political support. It might be true but it is nonsense.
They might advise him to ignore Hun Sen's reaction after the government's close associate, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrated in Si Sa Ket's Ban Phumsarol on September 19, demanding removal of the Cambodian community from the disputed area. Hun Sen would have no story if the government's ally had not created it for him.
Bangkok people may not get hurt by Hun Sen's verbal attacks, but they really harm the country and border areas communities.
Thailand, as a country, is not able to mend sour relations with Cambodia since the atmosphere for good cooperation is spoiled regularly by actions and reactions in this country.
People in the border area near Preah Vihear, already losing their income from trade and tourism at the temple, live in fear as they don't know when Hun Sen's rockets and mortars might land in their villages. Cambodia's word might be true or not, but such uncertainty creates fear for local residents. And living in fear is no fun at all.
But he is still left with the uphill task of mending sour relations with Cambodia.
Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kajornprasart, Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Phataraprasit and Information and Technology Minister Ranongruk Suwunchwee, who joined Samak Sundaravej's cabinet last year, escaped the National Anti-Corruption Commission's verdict.
The commission found legal grounds to file a lawsuit against only Samak and his foreign minister Noppadon Pattama for their support for Cambodia's proposal to list the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site.
Samak's cabinet allowed Noppadon to sign a joint communique with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An to support the World Heritage inscription in 2008, without approval from Parliament, in accordance with Article 190 of the Constitution.
In Thailand, legal judgement is always subject to the political situation. As politics have changed, many people who once sat in the same boat with Samak and Noppadon are off the hook since they have chosen to sit in another boat with the current government.
From the anti-graft body's perspective, the cabinet members did not need to share responsibility for the decision since they obtained information only from Noppadon, as did civil servants who handled the case. It seemed to the commission Noppadon did it alone, but Samak had to take responsibility as he was the top boss. It sounded strange other concerned officials knew nothing - but that's the anti-graft body's judgement.
As the ministers are freed, there is no legal question whether they should retain their positions in the cabinet following the anti-graft commission's decision. The Prime Minister is not obliged to make any decision on the case.
However, Abhisit has other parallel problems to fix, since the sour relations with Cambodia remain. They are likely to get more complicated as Prime Minister Hun Sen makes tough comments from Phnom Penh over the dispute at Preah Vihear.
He made a series of threats to the Thai government, all in only one speech on Monday. He threatened to skip the Asean summit in Cha-Am/Hua Hin in late October if the controversial Preah Vihear issue was not over. He would raise the issue before Asean and the United Nations Security Council unless it had been solved. He vowed to use force against any Thai people, military or civilian, who invaded the disputed area adjacent to the Hindu temple.
Usually, strongman Hun Sen does not make blank threats. He does what he says. Cambodia has already forwarded the issue of possible conflict over the area to the UN Security Council and tried to raise it during an Asean ministerial meeting in Singapore last year.
Two border skirmishes in October last year and April this year, which killed seven soldiers on both sides, have already proved Hun Sen's war weapon is not a toy gun.
The Asean summit is nothing to him. With or without Hun Sen, the summit would make no difference - but Prime Minister Abhisit really needs Hun Sen's presence since he is the chair and Thailand the host. Hun Sen might come to the summit eventually but it really hurts the Asean spirit when the chair is in conflict with a member.
Prime Minister Abhisit's advisers might whisper to him that Hun Sen made a nonsense statement for domestic consumption to gain political support. It might be true but it is nonsense.
They might advise him to ignore Hun Sen's reaction after the government's close associate, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrated in Si Sa Ket's Ban Phumsarol on September 19, demanding removal of the Cambodian community from the disputed area. Hun Sen would have no story if the government's ally had not created it for him.
Bangkok people may not get hurt by Hun Sen's verbal attacks, but they really harm the country and border areas communities.
Thailand, as a country, is not able to mend sour relations with Cambodia since the atmosphere for good cooperation is spoiled regularly by actions and reactions in this country.
People in the border area near Preah Vihear, already losing their income from trade and tourism at the temple, live in fear as they don't know when Hun Sen's rockets and mortars might land in their villages. Cambodia's word might be true or not, but such uncertainty creates fear for local residents. And living in fear is no fun at all.
11 comments:
dog barking never bite if dog quiet will be scare.
Just give brigdes to Hun Xen, he will not do anything to Thai.
ពួកអាឆ្កួតឯងកុំសូវមើលងាយរដ្ថាភិបាលរបស់
អញពេកប្រយ័ត្នបែកក្បាលអាឆ្កួត។ពួកអាឥតពូជ
ឯងមិនដែលគិតពីរឿងប្រទេសជាតិទេអាខ្ញុំកញ្ជាស់
សៀមឯងគង់មានថ្ងៃផុតពូជអាឆ្កួតឯងទេទៅថ្ងៃ
ក្រោយអាពួកស្លាប់ដោយគ្មានដីកប់។អញជេពួកអា
ឯងមិនសូវធ្ងន់ធ្ងរប៉ុន្មានទេលើកនេះចាំថ្ងៃក្រោយ
អញនឹងជេរទាល់តែជីដូនជីតាអាឯងនៅក្នុងដីហើយនោះក៏ឈឺក្បាលដែរអូរខេ!អាផុតពូជ។ជុំរាបលា។
my question to the Thais politicians is this: why Cambodia needs Thailand's approval when Preah Vihear is Cambodia's property? You siams got rocks in your heads......you have no common sense of rights and wrongs.....on International stage you talk sweet and diplomatic....but behind you act as thief......you have the thief mentality......I don't support war but it looks like only war can solve this issue with you Thais politicians and people....you simply don't know your own history.....shame on you Abhisit.
Hun Xen's remarks obviously shows the high level of frustration Cambodians have with Thailand. Thailand has drawn its own map that shows Preah Vihear as part of Thailand. Cambodia should not have to negotiate to keep their own land. The Thai comments suggesting Cambodia is reacting like a small country toward a larger more powerful one is ridiculous. Cambodia and Thailand are very similar culturally and geographically. Cambodia is no Venezuala. Cambodians are a far better people and a nation. Thailand is not even close to being like the United States. If anything Thailand is acting more like the thug nation that is Venezuala.
Pov
Cambodia Town
Long Beach, Ca
Way to go Samdech Deycho Hun Sen.
I agree with your comment 9:10 AM
New Phally
Usually, strongman Hun Sen does not make blank threats. He does what he says.
Good SomDach Dejjo!!
Abhisit Vejjajiva is using land invasion as a scaped goat because they are going through their political turm oils. So, their government is trying to change the topic by misleading Seim people to focus on other things rather than on him as an incapable Prime Minister and they know it too well that the Temple is belonging to Khmer people but yet they are trying to make trouble to convey the Thai people to focus on something else rather than on him, on the other hand, it is a way of getting their people back on track, like instead of fighting with each why not fight with the Khmer? This is called politic! They are trying to promote love and unity for their own people and stop fighting each other. So, therefore Khmer government needs to learn more about politicians' intention because it could lead into an effective outcome for the whole nation just like Thai government does. Aust
yes, wake up, khmer people. learn from siem and youn tactic in order to serve our nationa and people well into the brighter future. that said, it not right for siem thieves to use cambodia for their own infighting political gain or whatever! cambodia and the world know that preah vihear temple and surrounding lands belong to cambodia in accordance to internatioinal treaty of 1907 map, not siem unilateral map which is really the problem with siem ambition of stealing khmer lands, really! this is not the dark ages, people. wake up already and see the world!
DO NOT BETRAY YOUR NATION BECAUSE YOU HATE HUN SEN!
YOU WILL BE WORST THAN HUN SEN IF YOU DO LIKE THIS!
No, body is betraying Hun Sen>we are talking about THAI politic and khmer politic.
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