GUY BAKER
BANGKOK
Opinion sent to The Nation
Please let me say that I once lived for about two years less than 10 kilometres from the Preah Vihear Temple, I visited it a number of times when it was open from the Thai side and I was surprised then, as I am now, that it does not legally belong to Thailand as it is almost inaccessible from Cambodia and it does "jut out" from Thailand like a Thai peninsula. All of that, however, is irrelevant.
Songdej Praditsmanont quoted the 1962 court decision in part: "The natural inference was that she [Thailand] had accepted the frontier at Preah Vihear as it was drawn on the map, irrespective of its correspondence with the watershed line" (Court never decided on disputed land, 11 Aug). That was the court's decision that Thailand had accepted the map and the border line on that map. Period. The word "irrespective" in the decision is, in this case, equivalent to "irrelevant," ie, the watershed issue was irrelevant in 1962 as it is irrelevant today. Songdej asserted that "the ambiguity regarding the surrounding territory was not judged, and that remains the case", but it was indeed judged when the court decided that Thailand, by 1962, had accepted the map and the border line on that map.
The "ambiguity" that exists is that which exists only in the minds of some Thais, and that is why the court decision was never challenged by Thailand, as there is no ambiguity and no case to be presented. This is a closed case except in the minds of some of those with closed minds and after a lapse of 48 years, without any new evidence to present, it could probably only be heard in a fantasy court.
Songdej Praditsmanont quoted the 1962 court decision in part: "The natural inference was that she [Thailand] had accepted the frontier at Preah Vihear as it was drawn on the map, irrespective of its correspondence with the watershed line" (Court never decided on disputed land, 11 Aug). That was the court's decision that Thailand had accepted the map and the border line on that map. Period. The word "irrespective" in the decision is, in this case, equivalent to "irrelevant," ie, the watershed issue was irrelevant in 1962 as it is irrelevant today. Songdej asserted that "the ambiguity regarding the surrounding territory was not judged, and that remains the case", but it was indeed judged when the court decided that Thailand, by 1962, had accepted the map and the border line on that map.
The "ambiguity" that exists is that which exists only in the minds of some Thais, and that is why the court decision was never challenged by Thailand, as there is no ambiguity and no case to be presented. This is a closed case except in the minds of some of those with closed minds and after a lapse of 48 years, without any new evidence to present, it could probably only be heard in a fantasy court.
9 comments:
With respect to the decision by the ICJ in 1962 regarding Preah Vihear Temple, I could not say it better than Mr. Guy Baker.
Thank you Mr. Baker for your honesty and for the justice you have given to Cambodia in your letter to the Nation newspaper.
Anet Khmer
Mr. Baker, thanks for the observation. In the mind of Thais, it is also clear, but they just pretend to be confused. In our Khmer word we say that "you cannot wake up those who are not asleep, but pretend to be asleep". It is the case with Thailand right now.
Only PAD THAI and their ignorant prime minister think it is part of Thailand to serve only for their political reason; disregarding the loss benefits that Thailand could have had if the relationship with Cambodia would have been different. Vietnam is actively exploiting the opportunities.
Thank you, Mr. Guy Baker.Thai should respect The decision of the international laws.
If Mr. Baker is a Thai, then Thailand should be proud of someone like him.
the point is why siem show contempt of the court? siem must respect the icj verdict, period. watershed doesn't work where preah vihear is located! so stop thinking stupid, siem! have respect for the international law, ok! it is not for siem to decide the watershed, etc, really! so stop dreaming of stealing khmer temple from cambodia, ok! leave preah vihear out of all bilaeral talks, etc! no exception, ok!
the reality is cambodia do not need siem or thailand at all, really! there are more to cambodia than what siem think, really!
Dear all Siamese GOV'T is not ignorant nor the pad(The Yellow Shit)bcause their mucle is flexible,strong and confidence to expend territory by conquering her neighbour.
This is the main reason why Siamese doen't really want to solve the problem with the neighbour sooner. the trick is extending, Siamese always get more advantage. look back!..Surin, Boriram and many others ancients Khmer provices, Siamese had had moved troop in then claimed their own up until today,this time Siamese using the same trick to delayed with Miyama 30 so far, Laos 22 until now, guest what with Khmer one more time Siamese doing the same, Mr. Hun Sen musts seek for international help to remove Siamese troop out of Khmer territory, not only at Preah Vihea Temple all along Khmer border from B.Meanchey, OD. Meanchey and Preah Vihea province before necociation.
let's remind siem that this is not the dark ages, ok! cambodia and the world is reformed, have laws and very modernized, so outdated ambition like conquer, invasion, etc is unacceptable in today's world, really! what planet are they from anyway? wake up, people! the only way now is to do it the legal way, by law, that is, ok!
Post a Comment