BANGKOK, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- Bangkok will insist on existing Thailand-Cambodia bilateral mechanisms in resolving their border dispute at tomorrow's Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting in Jakarta, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said here Monday.
These mechanisms were the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation of Land Boundary (JBC), the General Border Committee (GBC) and the Regional Border Committee, he said.
"Thailand would affirm to other Asean member countries that the mechanisms have been making progress and should continue," he said in a statement.
He said former ambassador Asda Jayanama, who co-chaired the JBC on the Thai side, had sent a letter to the Cambodian co-chair of the JBC inviting the latter to attend the JBC meeting in Thailand, which had been agreed to in principle by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong.
Thai Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan would soon send a letter to his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh, asking Cambodia to convene the next GBC meeting in Cambodia at the earliest opportunity, as it would be Cambodia's turn to host, said Kasit.
The RBC is co-chaired by the Commanding General of the Second Army Region of Thailand and the Fourth Army Commander of Cambodia.
There were several clashes reported between Thai and Cambodian troops at the disputed border area between Feb 4 and Feb 16 with the use of heavy weapons including bombs, rockets and machine-guns by both sides, resulting in the loss of 10 lives from both sides.
The border dispute involved both nations claiming an area of 4.6 sq km surrounding the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear Hindu Temple as the area has yet to be demarcated, including the access route to the temple.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple was located in Cambodia, and it was listed as a world heritage site by Unesco in 2008.
Phnom Penh, on the other hand, felt that the bilateral mechanisms have not achieved their desired results in solving the border dispute.
The JBC could not move its survey and demarcation task forward for areas adjacent to the temple since its last meeting in Phnom Penh in April 2009, because the Thai Parliament was still considering the minutes of the JBC meetings.
Online news reports from Cambodia indicated that Phnom Penh wanted representatives from Asean to attend future Thailand-Cambodia bilateral meetings on the border dispute.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was reported by online news from Cambodia that he would propose the signing of a permanent ceasefire agreement between Bangkok and Phnom Penh at tomorrow's Jakarta meeting, and to be witnessed by the Asean Foreign Ministers or Asean Chairman.
On the other hand, Bangkok felt that the proposed permanent ceasefire was unnecessary and peace along the border could be achieved through existing bilateral mechanisms, said Kasit.
Hun Sen also proposed that Asean send its observers, either military, police or civilian, to the disputed border area.
If Bangkok could not agree to this suggestion, Phnom Penh would welcome Asean observers at its border area, said Hun Sen.
Bangkok responded by welcoming observers from Indonesia, the current chair of Asean, to be embedded with the Thai troops at the border area.
"This would be reaffirmation that Thailand had never and would not be the first to fire. Thailand also hopes that Cambodia would do the same so as to ensure that there will be no further armed clashes," said Kasit.
Kasit and Hor presented their respective cases of the earlier clashes between Feb 4 and Feb 7 to the United Nations Security Council in New York on Feb 14.
Ironically, the Feb 4 clashes took place a few hours after Kasit and Hor met in Siem Reap for a Joint Commission Meeting and the second series of two-day clashes took place on Feb 15, just few hours after both attended the Security Council meeting.
The Security Council has urged the two parties to establish a permanent ceasefire and resolve the situation peacefully and through dialogue. It also acknowledged Asean's role in supporting and facilitating the efforts.
4 comments:
Part II:
“If Thailand didn’t want to abide by the court’s ruling then why did it agree to submit the case in the first place? And why are they groaning now and firing artillery shells at the temple almost 50 years later?
Moreover, when Thailand says: Well, we controlled the temple in the 1800s and before, the Khmers have a simpler reply: Yeah, but WE BUILT IT! We started construction in the early 9th century, modified and improved it for 250 years and then continued to pray there and celebrate our Gods for another three centuries until you guys stole it after you sacked and looted our capital at Angkor Wat three times between 1352 and 1431. Thank you very much. End of story.
Cambodia has no interest whatsoever in another protracted violent conflict with anybody. The Kingdom is still trying to recover from 30 years of civil war, Pol Pot madness and the ensuing guerilla conflict in the 80’s and 90’s that in total cost the lives of over 2.5 million Cambodians and left the country in ruins. Every dollar spent on the military conflict there is a dollar lost for building desperately needed roads, schools and hospitals.
The Thai accusation that Cambodia has had some secret plot to steal Thai land along the border is also seen as ludicrous.
Everybody knows that since 1970 Cambodia has been too consumed with domestic strife to take even one meter of land from any of its neighbors. In fact, foreign aid officials who worked on the Thai border in the 80s will readily admit that border creep worked in reverse. It was Thai farmers living in peace—and I’m not accusing the Thai government of some orchestrated campaign here—who took the opportunity to plant a few extra hectares in disputed border areas while internally Cambodia was in complete disarray.”
Please continue to Part III.
Anet Khmer
Part III (the end)
"If there is one thing that is clear, it is that the entire border needs to be systematically surveyed and demarcated, step by step, once and for all.
As for the disputed 4.5 square kms just north of temple, why not consider this: Turn the area into the Cambodian-Thai International Friendship Park and set it up as a jointly managed enterprise by both countries’ Ministries of Tourism. Invite in hawkers, entrepreneurs, whatever from both sides of the border to set up businesses to cater to the millions of tourists who will want to visit the site in the coming decades and beyond. Tax revenues could be shared by both nations equally. Everybody wins.
It could also be a model for other border disputes around the globe.
If the Thais want a protracted, bloody fight on their hands over the temple, they’ve got one. In the 20 years I’ve been in Cambodia the Preah Vihear issue is without question the only one I’ve seen that has united the entire nation. Cambodian TV stations have been running fundraisers off and on with donations large and small pouring in from all quarters for two years. Even the normally truculent Sam Rainsy Party and others in the opposition are fully on board.
It’s clear from a visit to the temple last week that the Cambodian military has dug in for the long haul. New heavy tanks, armored personnel carriers and ammunition “donated by friendly countries” are evident all over the base of the escarpment. Battle-scarred veterans, no doubt from all of Cambodia’s four previously warring factions and including ex-Khmer Rouge who controlled the temple from 1975 to 1998, are now all operating under one flag. And yes, of course there are Cambodian soldiers with weapons bunkered around the temple. If they weren’t there the Thai military could literally walk in and take control of it in five minutes. What government in Phnom Penh could allow that?
If this dispute goes real hot, relations between Cambodia and Thailand will be ruined for years, hundreds on both sides will die needlessly and the economic costs to the two countries will be astronomical.
Cooler heads need to prevail but rest assured the Cambodians will never, no matter what the price, give up control of Wat Preah Vihear.
Why should they? It’s theirs.
Michael Hayes co-founded the Phnom Penh Post in 1992 and was Publisher & Editor-in-Chief from 1992 to 2008."
Anet Khmer
....Don't trust the sky don't trust the star don't trust Thai/Siam PAD's Thugs from Greed,Anger and Deluson,commited a lot of crimes bad Kamma's Actions.
Khun Abhisit & Kasit's PAD THUGS: Khun Kha Khang Manous U Tinay....?
A Kwam Ngor Ne Andaray Mark.
Kwam Roo Thim Tour Hoar Oy Tour My Rot.
Khun My Me Doungta Hinn Dhamma Khun Loung.
ArKun Lok Anet Khmer Te Lngoung Hoeiy Neung Andaray doy sar Neak Doerk Norm. Chess Bantech Bantourch Kroan Neung Sy Dal Chess Khtich Khty Rouk Avey Sy Khmean.
Khanti's Forbearance
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