The Nation
Local military commanders reach a ceasefire deal; Kasit will seek Cabinet approval for the terms of reference to station Indonesian observers on border
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he had not yet arranged a meeting with Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen for peace talks, although local commanders on the ground reached an agreement yesterday to cease fire at the border areas around Ta Muan temple.
Thai Second Army Region Commander Tawatchai Samutsakorn agreed with his Cambodian counterpart Chea Mon to cease hostilities and resume the border crossing arrangement at Surin province's Chong Chom checkpoint, government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said.
"But we have to closely monitor the situation until we are sure the deal will really be honoured," he said.
Military commanders have reportedly agreed ceasefires many times since skirmishes erupted last Friday at Ta Muan temple, but fighting has not stopped.
The clash has killed six Thai soldiers and two civilians and injured many others.
Army chief Prayuth Chanocha said the two commanders agreed to stop firing guns from noon yesterday. "If there is no more gunfire after noon, tension along the border will be eased," he said.
Both sides would dispatch officials to the front line to make sure the other side did not open fire again, Prayuth said.
"The ceasefire is not a solid peace agreement. We simply agreed not to fire guns anymore, but nobody can guarantee the situation," he said.
Prime Minister Abhisit said the deal between the two commanders at the local level was a good sign, paving the way to settling the conflict between the two countries.
Asked if the two leaders needed to hold ceasefire talks at the Asean meeting next month in Jakarta, Abhisit said he did not yet have a clear plan to meet Hun Sen.
The talks might not be necessary since the situation is expected to have eased before the Asean meeting, he said.
"It depends on the situation. There will be some changes and there are days from now until the Asean summit," he said.
However the conflict may be mentioned at the meeting since leaders of member countries might ask about the situation, he said.
Asean got involved in the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia after Indonesia, as the chair, was asked by the United Nations Security Council to implement a permanent ceasefire plan.
Jakarta planned to dispatch its observers to assess and monitor the situation at the Thailand-Cambodia border at the area adjacent to the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear.
The Indonesia observation plan has not yet happened as Thailand has not agreed to the modality of observation.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya discussed the details of the terms of reference (TOR) for the observation with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa yesterday in Jakarta.
The twohour discussion covered almost all details of the TOR, Kasit said, adding that Indonesia would place observers at seven spots at the border near Preah Vihear: four on the Thai side and the rest in Cambodia.
Thailand set conditions that Cambodia must not put its troops at Preah Vihear or the disputed 4.6squarekilometre area near the temple or at Wat Keo Sikha Kiri Svara.
"Observers would be placed only when Cambodia agreed with the conditions and withdrew troops from the areas," Kasit told reporters via phone conference from Jakarta.
Observation would last for six months but could be shortened if there was no gunfire during that time, he said.
Kasit said he would submit the TOR for Cabinet's approval next Tuesday.
2 comments:
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
Var Kim Hong does recognize that Cambodia, if compared to the colonial Service Geographique de l’Indochine scale map 1/100,000 and the 1985 delimitation treaty, will loses 9,000 hectares; and compared to U.S Army Mapping Service scale map 1/50,000 with the 1985 Treaty, would lose about 7,900 hectares to Vietnam. This statement was confirmed by Var Kim Hong to Mr. Touch Bora Esq through a telephone conversation on 30 August 2002 at 4:30 p.m. (Sydney time), which Mr. Touch Bora Esq wrote in his letter dated on 9 September 2002 sent to Sam Dach Ta Noroudom Sihanouk concerning over border affairs.
In fact, the loss is absolutely more than the 1000 square kilometers stated by MP Sam Rainsy in his statement, if we add the size of the historical water of 30000 square kilometers awarded to Vietnam under the 1982 Agreement which has been into affect and now already become under the full control of Vietnam. And this would not be the last if the equidistance principle be used to delimit the maritime boundary, Cambodia will lose an additional area of sea and seabed measuring at least 860 square nautical miles from the Brevie Line to the north, analyzed by Mr. Touch Bora Esq or another 10000 square kilometers confirmed by Mr. Sean Pengse, the President of the Cambodian Border Committee Worldwide, which exclusively include another Koh Poula Wai to Vietnam added to the previous lost islands- Koh Tral (Dao Phu Quoc) and Koh Poulo Panjang (Dao Thu Chu).
This is why sVar Kim Hong said in front of Students´s Movement for Democracy (SMD), and Sam Dach Ta Norodom Sihanouk on 22 Janaury 2000 during our audience with him concerning the border resolution with Vietnam that; “If we want peace, we must sacrifice our flesh to the tiger.” The truth is discovered now that, “Sacrifice the flesh to tiger actually means cutting our land to the Viet.” This word was clearly spoken out from his mouth and there were Sam Dach Ta as witness and 31 members.
We must condemn this Var Kim Hong for his role in helping the traitorous regime of Hun Sen.
Smart Khmer Girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
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