Thursday, April 07, 2011

Kasit to clarify army view

Indonesia will be told of border observer position

7/04/2011
Bangkok Post

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is to outline the military's opposition to Indonesian border observers with his Jakarta counterpart on Saturday.

Mr Kasit is scheduled to attend an Asean-Japan meeting in Jakarta to discuss assistance for disaster-stricken Japan.

However, he will take the opportunity to meet his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa to discuss Indonesia's role in the Thai-Cambodian conflict over the 4.6-square-kilometre area around Preah Vihear temple.

Mr Kasit has agreed with Phnom Penh and Jakarta that Indonesian observers could inspect the area.


However, the Thai military is upset with the minister's move as he had not first consulted them on the issue. Military top brass announced on Tuesday that they would not allow Indonesian observers to enter the disputed area.

Mr Kasit said yesterday the Foreign Ministry agreed with the stance of the security forces.

He said 15 Indonesian observers would be each deployed in Thailand and Cambodia. They would be allowed to approach the disputed area but would not be permitted to enter it. They must not be armed or wear a military uniform but arrive as diplomats.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday confirmed that Mr Kasit would discuss the roles of Indonesian observers at the Asean-Japan meeting.

Mr Abhisit also said the Indonesian observers must not be armed and their status would be as officials of the Indonesian embassy in Thailand.

According to Mr Abhisit, he already discussed the issue with the Thai army chief on Tuesday. The military did not oppose the Indonesian observers but disagreed with the presence of "foreign soldiers" at the border.

The prime minister has expressed his opposition to any attempt by Cambodia to bring Indonesian observers into the disputed border area.

He said the area belonged to Thailand and that Cambodia could not bring the observers in. He added that Indonesia understood this stance.

Mr Kasit's attendance at the Asean-Japan meeting will follow a meeting of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in Indonesia.

Mr Abhisit said he hoped negotiations through the JBC could progress because other countries were watching this negotiation mechanism.

He noted that the work of the JBC would show the world community the bilateral body still existed and functioned.

Thailand and Cambodia formed the JBC to jointly demarcate the borderline in their disputed areas.

Mr Abhisit said he had no problems with Cambodia's postponement of organising the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) as the panel dealt with general affairs along the Thai-Cambodian border.

"If Cambodia is not ready to host the next GBC meeting, we can wait," Mr Abhisit said.

In a related development, Thai and Cambodian soldiers laid down their arms to join friendly volleyball and petanque games at the border in Surin yesterday.

The activities were organised by Thailand's Second Army and Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey provincial authority to promote relations between soldiers of the two countries at the border area.

Thai and Cambodian villagers living near Chong Krang border pass showed up in force to provide moral support for their players during the fun-filled event, staged for the first time after recent deadly border fighting at Preah Vihear temple near the Si Sa Ket border.

The friendly games were witnessed by Suranaree Task Force Commander Maj-Gen Chavalit Choonprasarn and Oddar Meanchey governor Pek Soudden.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/230736/thai-men-don-t-measure-up

Anonymous said...

no wonder all thai women run for the white guys. I bet kasit pirom has less then 2'' long.

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen must clarify number of Vietnamese troops and Vietnamese people in Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

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 10,000 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 10,000km2 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 10,000 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 10,000 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,

Anonymous said...

“Military top brass announced on Tuesday that they would not allow Indonesian observers to enter the disputed area.”

=There is no such thing as disputed area! This is Siem naked aggression on Cambodian sovereignty! Cambodian leaders will allow any observers on Cambodian territories and there is nothing the Siem thuggish leaders can do about it!


“He said the area belonged to Thailand and that Cambodia could not bring the observers in.”

=If the area belong to Thailand then the Siem thuggish leaders need to prove to the world court! Please don’t even dream about your unilateral map drew up by some blind ambitious thuggish Siem leaders!

“Mr Abhisit said he hoped negotiations through the JBC could progress because other countries were watching this negotiation mechanism.”

=This is good news and now the Siem thuggish leaders will be held accountable for their words and their action in the eye of international community! Because in the past the Siem thuggish leaders can say and do as they wish by forcing Cambodia to demand through the use of Siem military thugs and the Cluster Ammunition!

“In a related development, Thai and Cambodian soldiers laid down their arms to join friendly volleyball and petanque games at the border in Surin yesterday.”

=Regardless of any development at the Thai-Cambodian borders because another military clash between the two countries can happen at any time! There are too many military hardwares and too many military troops station along the border between countries! How much longer the Siem thuggish leaders want to deceive the world community? This is Siem naked aggression on Cambodian sovereignty and to bring true peace back to the Thai-Cambodian border the Siem thuggish leaders must pull back or withdraw their military!