By Nuntida Puangthong
The Nation on Sunday, Agencies
Cambodian foreign minister says conflicting signals make it difficult to deal with Bangkok over border conflict
Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong yesterday slammed Thailand over its hesitation to receive Indonesian observers to monitor the permanent ceasefire at the disputed border near Preah Vihear Temple, saying Bangkok had sent many confusing messages on the matter.
"If Thailand wishes really to have a ceasefire at the border, why should they hesitate to receive Indonesian observers," Hor Namhong told reporters.
"Every time there's an armed clash, they always accuse Cambodia of starting the fighting. In such a case, why don't they accept the role of Indonesia as mediator?" he asked.
Hor Namhong was in Jakarta together with his Thai counterpart Kasit Piromya for an Asean-Japan meeting on the relief response to the tsunami.
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to the peace plan proposed by Indonesia to have observers assess the situation and monitor the ceasefire after a border skirmish at Preah Vihear in February.
Phnom Penh expressed its readiness to accept the observers but the Thai military is reluctant to allow them in, saying the area was too dangerous and having observers could be considered an infringement of Thai sovereignty by foreigners.
Thai Foreign Minister Kasit has failed in several attempts to convince the military to honour what Thailand has already agreed with Cambodia and Indonesia.
The Thai military initially said they would discuss the observation "modality" proposed by Indonesia with Cambodia in the General Border Commission (GBC) first. But as Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa proposed the GBC meeting be held in Bogor on Thursday and Friday last week, Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who co-chairs the GBC, said he won't attend the meeting.
Hor Namhong said Thailand has sent very confused signals all the time over the deal to settle the border dispute.
"Frankly speaking, it's really difficult to deal with them," he said. "The government and the foreign minister say 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.
"We have to respect the Asean chair's role in the negotiation. Indonesia as a chair has received the mandate from the UN Security Council," he said.
Kasit informed Indonesia in writing on Friday that from now on he was the person who would discuss and make an agreement with Jakarta on the terms of reference (TOR) for the observers.
It was not necessary to discuss the TOR with Cambodia in the GBC, he said.
Kasit was scheduled to meet with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty yesterday to discuss the TOR. But as of press time, the outcome of the meeting was not disclosed.
"I will discuss the TOR with Indonesia and bring some details to consult with the military again on the location where we should allow the observers in," Kasit told reporters in Jakarta.
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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,
MR. HOR NAM HONG!!!
ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THE THAI REACTION? IF YES, STEP DOWN, YOU
ARE NOT QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB. YOU
DON'T HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA OF
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN ANOTHER WORD YOU ARE
JUST ANOTHER DUMMY AND LIKE ALL
OTHER DUMMIES YOU DON'T WANT TO LEARN ANYTHING BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING. YOU HAVE BEEN
MANIPULATED BY THE THAI DIPLOMACY
AND WONDER WHY. DON'T YOU REALIZE
THAT YOU ARE DESTROYING CAMBODIA???
I used to look forward to read news article on Cambodia and Thiefland, but not any more from these bias no non-sense 1)the Nation and 2)Bangcock Post. I don't know these writers got their training from. All the news articles they wrote/published are so bias. It just amazing that they are never wrong. All the articles seem to benefit thailand all the time. It just ridiculous!
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