Lamphai Intathep
Bangkok Post
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insists that there is no conflict between the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the army over Thailand's refusal to accept Indonesian military observers into the disputed area on the Thai-Cambodian border.
The prime minister said Sunday that the ministry and the army understood the government's stance that Thailand would not allow Indonesian observers to enter the 4.6 square-kilometre disputed area around the Preah Vihear temple.
"If the Indonesian observers were allowed to go into the disputed area, it would make the border situation worse," said Mr Abhisit.
He was responding to Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, who said he was disappointed that Thailand had refused to accept Indonesian military observers into the disputed area.
Mr Hor Namhong was quoted as saying that Thailand sent conflicting messages on Indonesia's role as mediator in the border dispute between the two countries. "Frankly speaking, it's really difficult to deal with them," he said.
"The government, the foreign minister, says one thing while the military says another thing.
"We don't know who we can trust, who to deal with. We don't know who really has the right to negotiate."
Mr Hor Namhong was speaking to reporters in Jakarta ahead of the Special Asean-Japan Meeting to discuss post-disaster assistance for tsunami-hit Japan.
But Mr Abhisit said Thailand had discussed the matter with Indonesia and it was well understood.
Mr Abhisit also said that the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting between Thailand and Cambodia which ended last Friday in Bogor, Indonesia, went smoothly. He said Thailand could tell the international community that Thailand and Cambodia could successfully resolve their border conflict through these kinds of bilateral talks.
Meanwhile, Thailand is being criticised in the region for its decision to deploy cluster bombs in its February border clashes with Cambodia.
The Cluster Munition Coalition, based in the UK, last week condemned Thailand's use of the munitions. The army responded, denying it used cluster bombs.
Lao Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith was quoted Sunday by the Phnom Penh Post as saying that use of cluster bombs during the clashes was a serious concern, as they were "horrific" weapons.
Thailand has admitted using 155-millimetre Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) - large shells launched from the ground that split open and release dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area - but the the army said it does not define the weapon as a cluster munition.
Mr Thongloun urged all countries to sign and adhere to the 2008 convention banning the use of cluster bombs.
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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
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,
I don't know who you are Ms. Rattana Keo but I really appreciate your patriotism to Khmers. In Cambodia under Hun Sen regime, Khmer kids don't know anything about Koh Tral and Real Khmer History because CPP fully cooperates with Viet to brain washes Khmer kids after 1979 until present’s day.
The teachers at Cambodia can’t tell Khmer kids the true about their true history because they are being blackmail by the Hun Sen government. (“You want to be missing” that is the phrase CPP Viet spies’ tactic using every day at Cambodia school)
I would like Ki media educate Khmer people more about their own true history because majority of Khmer kids educated from 1979 till present day are big missing link to Cambodia real history.
We Khmers around the world must not accept the way CPP government brain wash Khmer kids today.
Maxx Blonde Low Carb,
We Thai need Cambodia to come help do regime change in Thailand.
Abhisit needs to go. His gov't oppress our people. There is much less freedom now in Thailand under the current gov't.
Hun Sen needs to help us topple Abhisit so we can have a measure of freedom.
Thai in Chiangrai.
of course, we knew it all along, really! people aren't that stupid nowadays, you know! only evil siem thugs are stupid to think that way, really!
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