Sunday, April 10, 2011

Thai, Cambodian Foreign Ministers to confer on draft TOR for Indonesian observers

BANGKOK, April 9 (MCOT online news) -- Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya is scheduled to discuss with his Indonesian and Cambodian counterparts later Saturday in Jakarta on the draft terms of reference (ToR) for Indonesian observers to be stationed at the disputed 4.6 square-kilometre between Thailand and Cambodia, according to an announcement issued by the Thai foreign affairs ministry.

The announcement said Mr Kasit would meet other foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japanese foreign ministry officials to discuss assistance to the latter and would use the opportunity to talk with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong about the draft ToR.

Thailand’s has made it clear that Indonesian observers could not be positioned in the disputed area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.


Saturday’s talks came after a two-day Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting in Bogor, Indonesia, ended Friday, in which Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to Mr Kasit, said the meeting ended successfully overall, as Cambodia now understood Thailand better and did not buy time, as the three memorandums of the JBC still needed approval from the Parliament.

Mr Chavanond also said in his telephone call to the foreign affairs ministry that both sides at the Friday’s meeting also agreed that a third party company would be hired to take aerial photos of the disputed border.

Initially, either a Japanese or an Australian or Danish firm would be selected to do the job while both Thailand and Cambodia would make a decision which firm has the most approriate technology, he said.

Reiterating that the just-ended meeting was held without interference from a third country despite being held in Indonesia, Mr Chavanond said he hoped future’s meetings to resolve border dispute would be held in either Thailand or Cambodia, which would benefit the two neighbouring countries.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

KAMPUCHEA KROM AT A GLANCE

Kampuchea Krom is composed of 68,965 square kilometers, 21 provinces and municipalities, two large islands - Koh Tral and Koh Tralach, 171 districts, 1,368 communes, 14,778 villages, more than 13 million Khmers, more than 567 Buddhist pagodas and more than 20,000 Theravada Buddhist monks.

99% of populations are Theravada Buddhists.

The Khmer kings, governments, regimes and citizens have never relinquish (give up) this part of their country to foreigners.

Kampuchea Krom has been under an ongoing colonial control since her division from motherland, Cambodia.

June 4, 1949 is the date that the Khmer Kampuchea Krom citizens grieve. The Khmer Kampuchea Krom people have organized Buddhist Service annually to honor the fallen Khmer Buddhist monks and heroes, who sacrificed their lives for Kampuchea Krom and Theravada Buddhism.

Colonial France divided, ceded and transferred Kampuchea Krom to colonial Vietnam on this date. The freedom of Khmer Kampuchea Krom has been mostly stripped by the Vietnamese ruling regimes and governments since. The French colonial administration committed injustice upon the more than 13 million Khmers of this beautiful fertile land.

Justice remains elusive for Cambodia, Kampuchea Krom and her citizens.

And...The struggle to regain freedom and human rights by the Khmers in Kampuchea Krom continues as long as injustice commits by the ruling Vietnamese regime(s) has not produced a fruitful result.

Koh Tral (Tral Island)
in Vietnamese - Phu Quoc island
circa 1939 Vietnamese encroached and conquered

Koh Tral Island has an area of 567 square kilometers; about 62 kilometers long and between 3 kilometers and 28 kilometers wide. The island physically is located closest to Cambodia's Kep seaside city. Visitors can see Koh Tral Island from the coastline of Kep. It is about a 30-minute motorized boat ride.

By Smart Khmer Girl, Ms. Rattana Keo

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...

6:47 AM
6:53 AM

retardation