Saturday, November 07, 2009

Diplomats not supporting Thailand's recall of Ambassador to Cambodia

November 6, 2009
Cassandra James
Asia Travel Examiner


According to the Bangkok Post on Saturday morning, foreign diplomats from several countries do not support Thailand's recall of their Ambassador to Cambodia. Thailand recalled its Ambassador on Thursday after the Cambodian government announced it was hiring deposed Thai ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser.

A European diplomatic source even commented Thailand's recall of their Ambassador could cause significant damage to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), especially if this stand-off is to continue. With ASEAN meeting this week and with representatives from both Thailand and Cambodia being in attendance the worry is this will affect ASEAN's ability to get things achieved.

Actually, Thailand's withdrawal of their Ambassador is not surprising, as diplomats themselves should be aware. When it comes to Cambodia, Thailand has a history of over-reacting, with the still-ongoing dispute about the 11th century temple a prime example. Troops massed on the Thai border and even some random shots were reported. This all over a temple that is patently on Cambodian ground and has been ruled by several international bodies as being the property of Cambodia. But, with Thailand having always treated Cambodia like a third-class citizen, it's not surprising their latest round of 'diplomacy' came to this.

As for ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he is a master of manipulation and current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is playing into his hands by reacting to every small thing he does. Abhisit though is a novice at politics and, rumor is, he is being controlled by other people more powerful in Thailand. If only Abhisit would ignore what Cambodia is doing, it would give Thaksin even less support. But with his anger over the Cambodian decision to hire Thaksin as an economic adviser, he is only elevating Thaksin's importance and keeping his name in front of the millions of people in Thailand who still support Thaksin.

Thailand itself has asked for foreign governments to pressure Cambodia to extradite Thaksin when he appears in the country but, as diplomats are already saying Thailand is going about this the wrong way, and as many countries didn't think Thaksin should have been deposed by a military coup in the first place, it's highly unlikely Thailand will get much support for this request.

SOURCES - Bangkok Post - Recalling ambassador seen as 'over-reaction' in dispute

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

James you the man at least you know what's going on between cambodia and thailand issue.

Anonymous said...

Where is the Thai poster? I hope you see this article. This is how the world see you, Thai thief.

Anonymous said...

The Thai are always over-reacting. Even when the USA removed Cambodia from their Trade Banned List, them thai went crazy...running around like crazy trying to protest. Stupid idiots.

Anonymous said...

Why can't Thai learn to accept that Preah Vihear belong to Cambodia? Thais should know many provinces in Thailand right now were once belong to Khmer. And Thais should know there is no such thing as Khom as they learned in thai school, it's Khmer. It's Khmers who built all the great temple in Cambodia and in many provinces in thailand. Quote from Thai university Prof. Charnvit Kasetsiri
"Bad history is bad education. Bad history is bad perception.
So Bad history, Bad Education, Bad Perception Make bad neighbors relation"

Anonymous said...

i'm so glade that some one really knew how much thialand been hurting cambodia ,esppecially when it come out of foreing people mouth. Thank you!!

Anonymous said...

Not surprising, yes you right James, Thailand and of course Thai people always treated Khmer descent in Thailand like a real third class citizen.
Contrary to the bad behavior throughout the Khmer, Thai wanted so bad to have Khmer Temples.
Thai give me the reason please.

Anonymous said...

Thailand shot themselves in the NUTs! hahahaha! they are fucken stupid Govt, they trying to hurts their own people more that trying to hurts cambodia....what a stupid idea!

Anonymous said...

AhBullShit administration and its minority supporters (yellow shit - pardon me yellow shirt) are a bunch of morons with unstable emotion. They did an illegal constitutional coup d'tat. They can stay this long in power only with the support of their royal family. So the majority of the thais have to swallow the bitter pill for now. Regardless, Thai people have to do the right thing if they want to live among and in a civilized world community. AhBullShit is ruining your country and putting shame to you all in the eyes of the world.

Anonymous said...

Like I've said before. Cambodia don't need to represent us because the whole world already knew what is Cambodia and the history of Cambodia "Khmer Empire". Thai didn't born as a country when we control them. They were born out of Khmer's sperm.

A lot of world knew the temple Preah Vihear is belong to Khmer. The Thai kept twisting shit around and manipulate the history for its younger generations to get confuse.

Down the Thai!

And thanks James!!

Anonymous said...

I'm wondering about the double standard Thai. If they are treating Khmer descent or looking down on Khmer that bad why the hell they want stuffs that belong to Khmer and impersonating our tradition and culture????

Concern from USA,

Anonymous said...

Yep...
Thai treat Khmer as their third citizen...

And Yuons treat Khmers as their slaves !!!

Khmer Canadian

Anonymous said...

Well said Khmer Canadian!

Now all we need is Laos to join in on it and we're doom.

KhmerAhmeric

Anonymous said...

Thanks James for this unbias article representing the world opinion about the Abbhisit government mistreating Cambodia. Abbisit with his PAD friends is a junior politician over reacting and creating more problem for Cambodia and Thailand.

Borey said...

This concern is absolutely right. So, what is ASEAN going to do with Thailand which is the trouble maker?

Kick it out from ASEAN or freeze it position till its own political crisis solved.

well well, Cambodian will be OK... because we have been suffer for many dacades already...

Anonymous said...

Who the hell is Cassandra James,
the Asia Travel Examine?
Over-reacting or not, Thailand has already taken the measures and Cambodia is at loss as no nations would approve the decision of appointing other country's fugitive as advisor.

Anonymous said...

2:01AM - can you read English? or maybe you have a memory lapse issue. By the time you finish reading the second paragraph, you forgot what the first paragraph said. You need to see a doctor for a brain check, it could be an early sign of Alzeimer!

Anonymous said...

To 2:01AM

Unlike the you, the world reknown thief, Cassandra Jamcitizen of Today world. We said what people of many other nations think.

The problem with people like you is that you can not understand how other nations perceive you.

Anonymous said...

"Thailand itself has asked for foreign governments to pressure Cambodia to extradite Thaksin when he appears in the country but, as diplomats are already saying Thailand is going about this the wrong way, and as many countries didn't think Thaksin should have been deposed by a military coup in the first place, it's highly unlikely Thailand will get much support for this request."

Cassandra ~ I'm not sure how much of this is true, do they (foreign government)really do not support Thai's government decision to depost Thaksin? If that's true, Thai is really hurting themselves even worse than they have been in the past. I thought the current PM of Thai is an Oxford graduate. Well, it's not where you went to school, but it's how you use the knowledge gained from school and apply it to the real life situation.

I find your report as unbias and stick to the main issue. Thanks for being truthful to the matter.

Anonymous said...

The Thais are a bunch of loonie ultra-nationalists...What is the matter with them??? It's true that Cambodia does not have economic experts of that caliber. That's why Samdech Hun Sen has the insight to import foreign know-how such as Lee Myung Bak of South Korea before he became Prime Minister and now former PM Thaksin of Thailand. The Thais are ungrateful bastards who owe so much to Cambodia for the past 800 years because they borrowed so much language and culture from the Khmers. The Thais have no power or influence beyond their borders. The Cambodians are indeed clever enough to recognise the special skill and talent possessed by Thaksin. Of course they resentful even though he has been discarded by Thailand. One must not forget that all of Thailand was once Khmer land and Bangkok was a Khmer river-bank village. Instead of fostering fraternal friendship between our two peoples (Khmer-Thai) which share so much in common, they choose the wrong path to self-destruction and humiliation. In the eyes of the world, they are indeed a crazy disturbed people...The world is laughing at Thailand.

Achar Penh