Abhisit outmanoeuvred by Hun Sen on disputed temple [-War threat against Cambodia?]

July 30, 2010
By Thanong Khanthong
The Nation

"If Cambodia insists on managing Preah Vihear, Thailand should respond in kind by closing the borders and stopping all trade with its neighbour. This would be the first warning. Thai soldiers on the border are on high alert. If the first warning goes unheeded, we should reserve the right, under our sovereignty, to drive out any nationals infringing upon our land."

THE DISPUTE between Thailand and Cambodia over the Preah Vihear temple complex has once again flared up to rattle the national psyche. However, this time the Abhisit government appears to be inept in its diplomatic manoeuvring, and completelyunprepared for the campaign by Cambodian Prime minister Hun Sen.

After securing World Heritage status for Preah Vihear, Cambodia is now launching a follow-up drive to manage the ancient site, which lies on a mountainside in what is currently Cambodian territory, but which can be accessed only from the Thai side of the border demarcation.

A 21-member Unesco committee has been meeting in Brazil this week and, it will be voting on whether to approve the Cambodian management plan for Preah Vihear. If the approval is effected, Thailand could technically lose sovereignty over 4.6 square kilometres of disputed land near the 11th-century Khmer temple, as well as the area around the temple.

Thailand appears to be totally isolated on the issue. Most of the major powers are backing Cambodia on the management plan for the temple. This will allow interested parties a window of opportunity to take part in the development project for Preah Vihear, plus other business deals with Cambodia afterward.

Cambodia is trying every means to squeeze the territory from Thailand. The implication from this Unesco meeting is significant, for the claim over the land territory will have implications for maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand, which are rich in oil and natural gas deposits.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that Cambodia had sovereignty over Preah Vihear. Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, the then prime minister, cried emotionally when he told the nation via a live radio broadcast that having to lose the temple to Cambodia was one of the darkest moments in the country's history. Thai soldiers guarding Preah Vihear pulled out the poles carrying the Thai flag and left the area with heavy hearts.

At the time, Thailand tacitly honoured - but did not accept - the International Court of Justice's ruling. Thailand's position then, as now, is that it reserves the right to appeal against the court's ruling when the time is appropriate.

Noppadon Pattama, the foreign minsiter during the Samak government, signed a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia over the World Heritage status for Preah Vihear. This MOU was approved afterwards by the Cabinet. Later, the Constitution Court ruled that the MOU was unconstitutional because it is considered an international agreement - and such agreements must be approved by the Thai National Assembly first.

Subsequent governments have not done anything to address this mistake. Now it is assumed that Preah Vihear is a Unesco-approved World Heritage site. And Cambodia is moving on with its proposed management plan without any input from Thailand.

Abhisit is now in deep trouble because his government has done nothing to counter the relentless Cambodian campaign. So far, Thailand has threatened to withdraw from the United Nations World Heritage Convention if its committee approves the Cambodian management plan to the disputed temple, even though the long-standing boundary demarcation issue has not yet been resolved.

Moreover, it looks like Thailand could lose more territories as a result of this ploy. Thailand lost Laos and several areas of Cambodia to France during the colonial period. It seems that history is repeating itself.

But now the situation is even more complicated. In 1962, the Thai people were united in their hearts and minds over the Preah Vihear issue. Now they are divided, with many looking at the dispute as a political diversion or an issue of extreme nationalism. In fact, it is a security and sovereignty issue.

By failing to block Cambodia's plan from the outset, Abhisit has allowed the dispute to spiral out of control.

If Cambodia insists on managing Preah Vihear, Thailand should respond in kind by closing the borders and stopping all trade with its neighbour. This would be the first warning. Thai soldiers on the border are on high alert. If the first warning goes unheeded, we should reserve the right, under our sovereignty, to drive out any nationals infringing upon our land.