The Nation
Thailand and Cambodia must resolve their disputes for the sake of regional unity
The ongoing Thai-Cambodian quarrel is a good indication that the future of the Asean Community still has a long way to go. Just look at the way Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen chose to ignore the plea from the Thai government not to get involved with a Thai fugitive. This will be a case study in the history of the regional grouping, when a leader within Asean does not really understand the requirements of responsible diplomacy regarding sovereignty vis-a-vis the opposition movement in neighbouring countries.
How can Asean form a single community when an Asean leader does not understand where to push and where to draw back in the internal dynamics of a neighbour? In the future, Asean's integration could become more problematic because it will certainly involve sensitive issues such as the rule of law, human rights and good governance.
Looking at the future of Asean through the Thai-Cambodian conflict, there will not be much comfort for supporters of further Asean integration. Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power for the past 25 years, and has shown no sign of retiring.
No wonder Asean Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan expressed serious concern a few days ago over the Thai-Cambodian tensions. He urged both sides to exercise "maximum restraint". Somehow, his advice fell on deaf ears.
Neither side has stood down from its position, and this has already had a detrimental effect on border trade and people-to-people contact. Surin urged the respective foreign ministers to settle the bilateral dispute amicably and as soon as possible.
Surin was right in pointing out that the dispute could undermine the reputation of Asean ahead of the Apec meeting and Asean-US Summit to be held later this week in Singapore. So far, only the government of Singapore, the summit's host, has openly expressed concern over the situation. But the other Asean members have kept quiet. A few Asean members have contacted Thailand and asked for information.
It is possible that in the next few days, ahead of the Singapore meetings, a mediator between Thailand and Cambodia could be appointed to find an acceptable way out for both sides. Surin has said that, as signatories to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, all Asean members are obliged to offer assistance to help fellow member countries settle bilateral disputes, even when the two conflicting parties cannot agree to refer their dispute to any regional body for dispute settlement.
If any Asean member takes such an initiative to help ease the Thai-Cambodian tension, it would mark a new chapter within the grouping's history. It would mean that Asean members are beginning to care about fellow members within the family, especially with two of them at each other's throats.
Since 1997, Asean has been trying to convince Burma to reform, but to no avail. However, any conflict among members is a matter of urgency that needs to be resolved quickly. In the next few days, we will find out if Asean's solidarity will be forever at risk.
The ongoing Thai-Cambodian quarrel is a good indication that the future of the Asean Community still has a long way to go. Just look at the way Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen chose to ignore the plea from the Thai government not to get involved with a Thai fugitive. This will be a case study in the history of the regional grouping, when a leader within Asean does not really understand the requirements of responsible diplomacy regarding sovereignty vis-a-vis the opposition movement in neighbouring countries.
How can Asean form a single community when an Asean leader does not understand where to push and where to draw back in the internal dynamics of a neighbour? In the future, Asean's integration could become more problematic because it will certainly involve sensitive issues such as the rule of law, human rights and good governance.
Looking at the future of Asean through the Thai-Cambodian conflict, there will not be much comfort for supporters of further Asean integration. Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power for the past 25 years, and has shown no sign of retiring.
No wonder Asean Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan expressed serious concern a few days ago over the Thai-Cambodian tensions. He urged both sides to exercise "maximum restraint". Somehow, his advice fell on deaf ears.
Neither side has stood down from its position, and this has already had a detrimental effect on border trade and people-to-people contact. Surin urged the respective foreign ministers to settle the bilateral dispute amicably and as soon as possible.
Surin was right in pointing out that the dispute could undermine the reputation of Asean ahead of the Apec meeting and Asean-US Summit to be held later this week in Singapore. So far, only the government of Singapore, the summit's host, has openly expressed concern over the situation. But the other Asean members have kept quiet. A few Asean members have contacted Thailand and asked for information.
It is possible that in the next few days, ahead of the Singapore meetings, a mediator between Thailand and Cambodia could be appointed to find an acceptable way out for both sides. Surin has said that, as signatories to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, all Asean members are obliged to offer assistance to help fellow member countries settle bilateral disputes, even when the two conflicting parties cannot agree to refer their dispute to any regional body for dispute settlement.
If any Asean member takes such an initiative to help ease the Thai-Cambodian tension, it would mark a new chapter within the grouping's history. It would mean that Asean members are beginning to care about fellow members within the family, especially with two of them at each other's throats.
Since 1997, Asean has been trying to convince Burma to reform, but to no avail. However, any conflict among members is a matter of urgency that needs to be resolved quickly. In the next few days, we will find out if Asean's solidarity will be forever at risk.
18 comments:
Do Thailand learn anything from the arrogant, manipulative, bullying, exploitive attitude to all their neighbors. I too, don't give a shit about Thailand. Respect must be earned, not given. So far, Thailand has not earned any respect from me nor my compatriots. Thailand is the enemy to all their neighbor countries, even the peaceful Laos. What is that tells you about Thailand.
it's not that hun sen doesn't understand, he just doesn't give a damn, and what are you going to do about it?
Thailand, one of the older members of ASEAN, already undermined ASEAN value when it trampled over the sovereignty of Cambodia over the Preah Vihear issue.
Several Thai royalists circulate rumor that the King is DEAD...
Coincidentally, the Army Chief General Anupong said: We'll see if Thaksin will be allowed to visit his supporters at the border. Something is really going on in Thailand. May be the rumor is TRUE..
The monkey king is dead!!!!!!!!!
CHEER!
The one-eyed king is dead...........!
There will be a celebration on the Khmer's Thai border...
The observers said, the big storm in S.E.A. will be fired soon. That's Good my family and I living outside Cambodia.
Umm.... Puth tumneay said Khmer rot kaong dey, Siam rot kaong Thmar? will that comming?
Please stop posting stupid article from The Nation. They are all biased to Thai advantage only. All journalists have their brain washed!!!
The "Nation" need top spiting out the bullshit and the garbage! Cambodia government under HUN SEN leadership had done a superb job in keeping the peace and stability along the border while using Thai instability as an excuse to forgive Thai leaders for their mistakes! And so far Thai leaders continue to use their instability as an excuse to create more problem for Cambodian leaders and if Cambodian leaders allow the Thai leaders to behave this way and it is like rewarding the Thai leaders!
Time for change that is to reward any Thai leader who love peace and stability begining with Thaksin!
The Nationis known as a pro-royalist/pro-government media outlet - according to Wikipedia
For a few hundred years Siems bullied at Khmers, and took the Khmer Empire, robbed all including gold and national treasures and cultures. Now Hun Sen starts he revenge and bullies at Siems.
Why does he do that? Hanoi's double strategies using Hun Sen to do that. I think Thais need to stop playing games with Hun Sen, but start to solve the problems between Cambodia-Thailand. No one will win, but both Thais and Cambodians are losers, but the winner goes to Hanoi's expansionism.
This Dam Nation News Post does not seem to see any faults and wrongness of the Thievland at all. Dam, this is embarrasing coming from the country claimed to be more educated and Oxford alumni. Just a bunch of Oxcart.
Thai PM got his degree from and Oxcart. This is hilarious!!
Also, I think he got his degree from a cereal box.
Hun Sen got his degree from a rice field too.
This is similar!!
Thai government plays games with Cambodia because it try to please the PAD who put it in power. Thai goverment speaks the same language as the PAD regarding Preash Vihear. Thai PM should know better because he's the educated one. You cannot win with Cambodia in either historic or political point of view. You know quite well that Preash Vihear belongs to Cambodia. Thai stole too much already from the Khmers. Do you see that there are so many Khmers in Thai provinces near Thai-Cambodian borders. There are so many people in Surin that don't even speak Thai because Surin used to be Khmer territory. If you close the borders, many people on both sides will suffer. If we talk about commercial aspects, Thais exported 2 Billions worth of goods to Cambodia and Cambodians exported 90 Millions to Thailand in 2008. Who will be at great disavantage? Why are PAD and Thai government so greedy?
thais play the wrong game which will be only benefit to its ennemy and rival, the yuons
yuons wait this occasion so long
Yuon was behind Hun Sen (Hun Sen have no idea to do this, when he talked to long he got a lot of mistakes). All Cambodian intellectuals who work in Cambodia now are not blinds but blinds.
Yes I still worry and think that a battlefield is not a garden. That easy when you said from outside but there are a lot problems for the poor Cambodian
To Hun Sen (Leader of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime)
Since you and the CPP assassinated, executed, killed and murdered jurnalists, political opponents, leaders of the free trade union, innocent men, innocent women and innocent children;
Do you have any plan to assassinate the Thai prime minister (Abhisit Vejjajiva)?
Are you going to send Brigade 70 (Hun Sen's Death Squad Unit) to assassinate the Thai prime minister (Abhisit Vejjajiva)?
Is it true, you only kill your own peoples, you will not kill Thai and Veitnamese peoples that cannot get enough of our land?
Is it true, you only kill innocent Khmer peoples with no weapon in their hands?
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