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| Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon (left) and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha) |
30/03/2011
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post
Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has agreed to attend the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting in Indonesia, according to Cambodia's Defence Minister Tea Banh.
Gen Tea Banh announced the agreement in an interview with the Bangkok Post in Phnom Penh on Wednesday.
Gen Prawit has repeatedly said he would not go to the GBC meeting, scheduled to be held in Bogor, Indonesia, on April 7-8. He has said the GBC should be purely bilateral and the meeting held in either Cambodia or Thailand, not in Indonesia or any other third country.
Gen Tea Banh claimed he had talked over this matter with Gen Prawit and that the Thai minister had agreed to go to the meeting in Indonesia.
He said he would himself leave for Indonesia on April 6.
"The Thai side can't insist not going because it has agreed with the United Nations Security Council and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to let Indonesia mediate talks with Cambodia," Gen Tea Banh said.
"I still believe Gen Prawit will definitely go to Indonesia for the April 7-8 meeting. I'll be waiting for him over there," he added.
An informed source said Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has made it a policy for the Cambodian army that in talks with their Thai counterparts they must insist on not withdrawing Cambodian troops from the 4.6 square kilometre disputed area.
Hun Sen has said Cambodian soldiers were duty-bound to remain in the area, regardless of for how long.
His objective is for Thailand to accept observers from Indonesia into the disputed area for inspections, the source said.
The source also said Hun Sen would not be happy if he happened to see a Cambodian soldier talk to a Thai soldier in the Thai language.
"The prime minister said Cambodian soldiers must speak Cambodian, and use an interpreter if necessary," the source said.
Meanwhile, the Phnom Penh government insists Thai investors are welcome in Cambodia despite the long-standing border conflict between the two countries.
Thai investors, too, are confident the tense border conflict will not affect their investment plans.
Cambodian Minister of Tourism Thong Khon said Thai investors are eligible for tax privileges and Thai products imported by them are exempted from taxation for a period of three to eight years.
Mr Thong Khon was full of praise for such Thai businessman as Supachai Verapuchong, managing director of the Sofitel Phnom Penh Pookeerhra Hotel, for his continued investment in Cambodia even though the hotel, formerly known as the Royal Phnom Penh, was severely damaged in an anti-Thai rioting in Phnom Penh in December 2006.
Prime Minister Hun Sen's policy is to encourage more foreign investment in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Koh Kong.
Countries in this region which have invested in Cambodia are China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Those from elsewhere include Australia, Portugal, England, the United States and France.
Mr Supachai, who invested more than two billion baht in the five-star Sofitel Phnom Penh Pookeethra Hotel, said even though the relations between Thailand and Cambodia are plagued with uncertainty he has confidence in the Cambodian government's policy toward investors, including those from Thailand.
In 2006, Mr Supachai invested US$40 million in the Sofitel Ankor Hotel and a golf course in Siem Reap.
"Despite turbulence, Thailand and Cambodia are neighbours. We have to walk together as friends," he said.
"In four years from now, there will not be a tariff wall in Asean. The question is whether Thai investors and the Thai government are ready for the days ahead, when business competition will be tougher.
"So we should establish business ties, which will subsequently lead to improvement of relations in other fields," Mr Supachai said.
5 comments:
They look like crooks.
Thailand chooces to discuss the content. Cambodia chooses the place to talk.
Who is better?
Thai believes the talk has been taken shuttle between Bangkok and phnom penh for several years. It is not going to be huge different when it does in Indonesia but what Thailand desires to see the meeting between Thai and Cambodia is needed. Indonesia can sit at te meeting but she acts only a preside symbolic. Indonesia is not gonig to do any mediation/negotiation. When Thai or Cambodia disagree, then nothing Indonesia can do. That's what Cambodia wants to have the talk take place in Indonesia, that's what Cambodia gets it, no more than this.
Let see, when not if, the clash between Cambodian and Thai troops taken place again. Indonesia can do only to urge both sides to refrain and perhaps to issue the statement of regret. Refers this issue to UN Security Council again, it is not going to be happened but perhaps Indonesia will request Asean Members to conven the meeting. Then the Asean Members will prefer to have both sides talk in Indonesia again and again.
So the issue of Preah Vihear will go nowhere and Thailand is manage to keep this issue alive and well. so Unesco won't be able to do anything about Preah vihear. Oh by the way, The International Court is likely to settle both sides claim on territory dispute on the gorund that the ongoing negotiation between the two countries and Asean Club is the only the arbitration, since the land divides between the two is not clear defined. The Court can't solve this matter. It is far more complication then the Temple itself.
This issue will remain unresolved and outlast the prime ministers of both countries.
In other word, business as usual...
The Thai already won the battle.
How the the fighting was started??
How the fighting was stopped??
The fighting started when the Cambodian armies put the flag on the roof top of Wat Khmer.
The fighting stopped when the Thai armies blew up the flag and roof top of Wat Khmer.
Now there is no flag that is what the Thai want, and they got their result.
Cambodian is the big loser....
Tea Banh muk doch Ayiv!!!
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