Thailand believes Security Council will give bilateral solution a chance [-2 years of bilateral talks with Thailand, where does it lead to?]

BANGKOK, Feb 14 (MCOT online news) -- Thailand is confident that it will present a strong case to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday and the world body is believed to be set to let Thailand and Cambodia resolve their border dispute bilaterally, according to acting Thai government spokesperson Panitan Wattanayakorn.

Thailand and Cambodia have been invited to the closed-door hearing of the 15-member Security Council to give its account of the deadly border clashes near the ancient Preah Vihear Temple between Feb 4-7.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will represent Thailand while the Cambodian delegation will be led by Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa would also attend in his capacity as the current chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in which Thailand and Cambodia are members.

Mr Kasit was expected to affirm Thailand's commitment to peacefully resolving the country's differences with Cambodia, Mr Panitan said.

The Thai foreign ministry compiled evidence, including still photographs and video footage from the media to substantiate Thailand's accounts that Cambodia started the fighting and that Thai soldiers exercised their right to defend themselves, aiming at military targets, he said.

Among key evidence to be presented to the UNSC include interviews given to foreign media by a couple of Cambodian soldiers who admitted that they launched the attack first, photos showing Cambodia deployed its soldiers at Preah Vihear temple, which violated an agreement with the World Heritage Committee, according to the Thai government spokesperson.

Thailand will also show evidence to prove that Cambodia created the conditions leading to the armed clashes with Thailand, such as the building of a disputed pagoda and put in place its national flag as well as other forms of provocation to ensure that the fighting would eventually erupt. In addition, Cambodian troops fired at civilian targets in Thailand, which resulted in deaths and it would take at least several months to rehabilitate the housing in communities damaged by the recent attacks, he said.

"All that Cambodia had done was aimed at bringing up the issue to international level which was not good for solving the problem. Thailand however hopes that the international community would be able to encourage Cambodia to hold bilateral talks, while Thailand will make it clear that any recurrence of fighting bodes ill for both." Mr Panitan said.

The Thai government spokesperson also said the problem was not serious to the extent that the UN would dispatch a peacekeeping force to oversee the situation and the situation was unfavourable for UNESCO to send staff to inspect Preah Vihear Temple.

Meanwhile, Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Thani Thongphakdi spoke from New York to reporters here that no schedule has been set for a bilateral discussion between Thai foreign minister and his Cambodian counterpart but both will briefly meet before attending the Security Council hearing.

The hearing will begin at 10am New York time (10pm Thai time). The Cambodian and Thai foreign ministers as well as the present ASEAN chair are expected to be given 15-30 minutes to present their statements to the closed-door meeting of the 15 Security Council members, Mr Thani said.

The International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that the 11th century Preah Vihear temple belongs to Phnom Penh. UNESCO named it a World Heritage site in 2008 after Cambodia had applied for the status. The country submitted a management plan for the temple to UNESCO’s World Heritage Commission in 2010, which deferred a decision until this year.

It may be dangerous for UNESCO officials to visit the temple at the moment Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said, advising that the UN must wait until their safety is guaranteed to visit the area.