Hun Xen tried to divert attention from land concessions to Vietnam by attacking Thailand: Thai Gen. Charan Kullavanijaya

Charan: All border disputes stem from conflicts of interest

Why history has made border demarcation efforts so difficult

9/02/2011
Bangkok Post

"Hun Sen has come under fire from his critics over his decision to grant long-term concessions over the use of land in the northeast of Cambodia bordering Vietnam. This put Cambodia at a disadvantage. As a result, he has had to divert public attention away from that issue by attacking Thailand."

The recent conviction in Phnom Penh of Thai Patriots Network coordinator Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary, Ratree Pipatanapaiboon, on charges of espionage bodes ill for solving the long-running border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

Gen Charan Kullavanijaya, former secretary-general of the National Security Council and chairman of the National Defence Alumni Think Tank, shares his views on the border conflict with KING-OUA LAOHONG.

Why does Thailand have more border disputes with Cambodia than any other country?

Thailand has had border disputes with Malaysia, Laos and Burma, but they were settled through negotiations. The border demarcation with Malaysia went well. In the case of Cambodia, there would be no problem if the two countries could agree on their common interests.

I don't know whether the Thaksin Shinawatra government reached any kind of agreement with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Perhaps this is why the Cambodian leader was upset when there was a change of government in Thailand. I believe that all disputes arise from conflicts of interest.

There are still problems with overlapping areas along the Thai-Cambodian border that have stymied demarcation efforts. What is your view on that?

Thailand and Cambodia share a 798-kilometre-long border. The two countries started demarcating the border line in 1909. There are 73 border markers, the first of which is at the Chong Sa-ngam checkpoint in Si Sa Ket's Phu Sing district. The 73rd post sits on the border at Hat Lek village in Trat's Khlong Yai district. During the colonial period, powerful countries that colonised our neighbours tried to put pressure on Thailand because they wanted to get at our natural resources. They tried to take advantage of us by means of border demarcation.

It is noticeable that France used watershed boundaries to demarcate the border line between Thailand and Cambodia, but it used the Mekong River bank to demarcate the border line between Thailand and Laos.

During the time of the communist threat and internal fighting among the three warring factions in Cambodia, the border line between Thailand and Cambodia was altered. One faction backed by Vietnamese troops drove the other factions to areas bordering Thailand. The factions then moved the border line into Cambodian territory and created quasi-Thai territory where they set up safe pockets for their supporters to take refuge. But there was no telling exactly where the border lay.

Later, some selfish businessmen and investors wanting to cut down trees in the border area moved some demarcation posts deeper into Thai soil to create the impression the area belonged to Cambodia so they could fell trees easily.

After the trees were removed, they did not move the markers back.

Do residents and officials working along the border know which areas belong to Thailand and which to Cambodia?

If we study history, we will see that border markers have often been moved. Troops from the two countries have agreed to demarcate the border line. However, what they agreed is not formal demarcation. For example, Thai border patrol police and Cambodian troops earlier reached an agreement on the border line in Sa Kaeo's Aranyaprathet district. But the arrest of seven Thais in the disputed area became a government-to-government issue and suddenly bilateral talks no longer made sense, because national pride got in the way.

Why does Hun Sen seem to take an aggressive stance, particularly in Mr Veera's case?

Mr Veera had entered the disputed border area twice [before] and was caught there twice. He was released both times because of help from Thai border patrol police. He then entered the same location a third time and was arrested.

I don't know why he kept entering the area. When he and the other Thais were caught, pressure mounted on the government to declare the area Thai territory. In fact, no one can say that. I myself cannot point to exactly where the border line is.

The Cambodian leader has to take an aggressive stance towards Thailand because he is facing political pressure in his own country. Hun Sen has come under fire from his critics over his decision to grant long-term concessions over the use of land in the northeast of Cambodia bordering Vietnam. This put Cambodia at a disadvantage. As a result, he has had to divert public attention away from that issue by attacking Thailand.

How can Thailand solve the dispute, and in particular border demarcation?

Negotiations are the best solution. Both governments must hold talks and let the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission demarcate the border.