6/04/2011
Wassana Nanuam & Thanida Tansubhapol
Bangkok Post
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| Songkitti (Photo: TNA) |
Indonesian observers will not be allowed to enter the disputed border area surrounding the centuries-old Preah Vihear temple, Supreme Commander Songkitti Jaggabatara says.
Gen Songkitti led the chiefs of the army, the navy and the air force in making the statement at a press conference after a meeting of the military top brass at the Royal Thai Air Force headquarters yesterday.
It was the first time Thai military leaders have formally announced their position on the issue.
Gen Songkitti said the Thai and Cambodian governments signed a memorandum of understanding in 1995 which provides for the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee(GBC) to be set up with defence ministers of the two countries as co-chairs.
He said the 8th GBC meeting must be held in June as was agreed by the two countries at the seventh GBC meeting in Pattaya on Oct 31, last year.
Gen Songkitti said the Thai military has adhered to bilateral commitments between the two countries.
"The Thai military is glad to attend the [next] GBC meeting in Cambodia at the proper venue and at the proper time," Gen Songkitti said.
He stressed that the armed forces are duty-bound to protect the country's territorial sovereignty.
Gen Songkitti said documents related to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Feb 14 this year in New York showed that "the UNSC calls on the two sides" to avoid any actions that could lead to clashes and conflict.
Gen Songkitti insisted that "the two sides" mentioned in the document mean Thailand and Cambodia only.
He also cited a document from an Asean Foreign Ministerial Meeting on Feb 22 this year which "calls on Cambodia and Thailand to resume bilateral negotiations and Indonesia to support the two countries".
In light of this, it was clear that the border dispute must be solved through the existing bilateral mechanisms, including the GBC, Gen Songkitti said.
He said that an agreement the Foreign Ministry had reached with Cambodia and Indonesia to send Indonesian observers to the disputed border area had nothing to do with the military.
A military source said Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and the military top brass were unhappy that Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya had agreed with the proposal for Indonesia to sit in as a mediator on bilateral meetings between the two countries and send its observers to the disputed border area without consulting with the armed forces.
But the Foreign Ministry yesterday played down the military's decision not to accept Indonesian observers.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said the Thai army has not confirmed this with the ministry.
In a related development, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong has sent a letter to his Thai counterpart Mr Kasit to make it clear that Cambodia has never agreed to any meetings other than those proposed and hosted by Indonesia.
He sent the letter dated April 4 in response to Mr Kasit who earlier sent a letter dated April 1 which Mr Kasit stated that "... as [host] of the 5th Thai -Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) Meeting, Thailand is ready to convene the Meeting on April 7-8 in [Bogor of Indonesia] ...".
Hor Namhong said in his letter that Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa had proposed to host the JBC meeting.
8 comments:
Ah siam or thai has something hidden and want to trick khmer-hun xen/manet again. Watch out!!!
LONG LIVE VIET NAM.. and good work HUN SE Nand cpp .. we will always help you. now you have invited us into your country to help protect you.. thank you and now we are more then 60,000 secret force behind in you country and ready to kills the the thais. then take over cambodia and you will be the PM..
Good work.. now Cambodian peoples welcome their master Viet nam with open hand..
Good work Hun Sen and dont worry your son we will promote him to replace you and also cpp leader...
Thai Generals can make a political decision ? Whos is in charge in Thai government ? A Prime Minister or a Military leader ? Do they know what their duties are ?
11:56 AM
Thai's politic is in a free fall.
It is chaotic. The government speak one thing and the army speak another.
Dear Peang Meth,
Do see why Cambodia cannot reach any peaceful agreement with Thailand? Thai's politic is a mess.
Next time you write commentary why the conflict drag on for this long you may want to consider is happening inside Siamland.
I think this is the rogue general that wants to see Cambodian-Thai conflict drag on.
Who is really in charge in Cambodia? Is HunXen or the VietCong?
anyone know???
10:45 PM,
Communist Vietnam Hanoi leader is the master of all CPP members and Hun Sen in Cambodia.
It is not right Cambodia country is currently controlled by Vietnam Communist Hanoi leader, ordering CPP members (Vietnamese members like Sok An, Hor Namhong, Sok Kong, Mao Meng Khim and you name it) and Hun Sen what to operate Cambodian for more than 30 years.
Cambodia to clean up those messy systems created by CPP members. Hun Sen has just talked all the times. You can give a hint when Hun Sen give his speech.
Hope Cambodian people from SRP, HRP and some gullible Cambodian people who voted for CPP to protest against Communist Vietnam Hanoi master, CPP members and Hun Sen.
Communist Vietnam Hanoi and CPP members can not order Hun Sen to give speech to CPP Yuon bodyguards, military polices and troops from Vietnam to brutally force or attack Cambodian people who demand their real democracy, freedom, dependency from Communist Vietnam imperialism and illegal Vietnamese operations in Cambodia.
The UN and International Communities should speak with Communist Vietnam Hanoi leaders and CPP members who are pushing Hun Sen. Hun Sen, Heng Samrin and Chea Sim have made the big mistakes to allow Vietnamese officials and cadres from Communist Hanoi to operate and protect Cambodia from 1979 to present without the intervenes of the UN and International Communities.
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