Cambodia softens stance on JBC meeting [-More Thai tricks to fool Hun Xen?]

Chavanond: Other items to be discussed

5/04/2011
Thanida Tansubhapol & Pradit Ruangdit
Bangkok Post

Thailand has successfully lobbied Cambodia to attend Joint Boundary Commission talks in Bogor, Indonesia, on April 7-8, despite the Thai parliament failing to approve three minutes on border demarcation.

The minutes arose from JBC meetings in 2008 and 2009.

"Phnom Penh softened its position after Thailand [successfully] lobbied it over the past week," Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the foreign minister, said yesterday.

The parliament last week adjourned approval of the JBC documents due to a lack of a quorum.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen had previously threatened that his country would no longer negotiate with Bangkok on border demarcation if the Thai parliament did not pass the three JBC documents.

Section 190 of the 2007 Constitution requires any agreement reached with a foreign country which would be likely to impact on Thai territory must receive endorsement from the parliament before it can go ahead.

Mr Chavanond said the unapproved minutes would not be discussed at the meeting.

He said the two countries had agreed instead to discuss other issues, such as opening new border checkpoints, selecting a company to take aerial photos of the disputed borderline, and preparing to send teams to survey border points 1 to 23.

These refer to land around the centuries-old Preah Vihear Temple, but they are not indicative of the 4.6-square-kilometre area claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia, a source said.

Asda Jayanama will head the Thai representatives at the JBC meeting.

"We need to show our sincerity towards Cambodia under the existing bilateral framework as the international community is watching closely," Mr Chavanond said.

He said the Bogor meeting will only be a "record of discussion" and the talks would not be signed as official.

Indonesia, the current incumbent of the revolving Asean chair, asked to host the JBC meeting when it held the Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting in Jakarta on Feb 22, but will not attend the meeting, Mr Chavanond said.

"This meeting will not be a commitment, nor should it cast doubts as to whether Thailand will lose its territory," he said.

Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he was confident bilateral ties would improve after the JBC talks.

Mr Abhisit also said military officers of the two countries were unable to join a General Border Committee meeting, expected to be held on the same day as the JBC talks, because they had different opinions on a meeting venue and a place where Indonesian observers of the dispute could be stationed at the border.

Cambodia allowed Indonesian observers to enter the disputed area around Preah Vihear, despite opposition from Thailand.

The two countries later agreed during the Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting in Jakarta to allow Indonesian observers to enter the border areas.