Yassine Majdi and Sri Wahyuni
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The lack of a scheduled meeting between the Thai and Cambodian leaders on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit this weekend to solve a border crisis threatens to derail regional integration and is an embarrassment to the grouping, critics say.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva indicated Wednesay he had no intention of holding talks on the border clashes with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Jakarta. “I met Hun Sen four times late last year, and then in February clashes erupted,” Abhisit told the Bangkok Post in the Thai capital.
“And I insist that each clash is not an accident. It is an intention to internationalize the issue.”
The Cambodian-Thai dispute over the area surrounding the Preah Vihear Temple began in 2008.
Indonesia, the current chair of ASEAN, “proposed both countries solve the issue at the regional platform”, Foreign Affairs spokesman Michael Tene said.
But any attempt by Indonesia to mediate has proved fruitless because of Cambodia’s attempt to internationalize the dispute by turning to the UN Security Council and Thailand’s refusal to bring in external participation, Adinda Tenriangke Muchtar, the program director at the Indonesian Institute, said.
Both Michael and Adinda agreed that the conflict would slow down the construction of the ASEAN community, which regional planners want achieved by 2016.
Adinda said the issue would prove to be a test of ASEAN’s ability to turn the region into a community.
Michael insisted Indonesia was concerned about the latest developments and would continue to mediate as chair of ASEAN.
Another obstacle brought about by the dispute is the upcoming Thai parliamentary election scheduled for July. “This can slow down negotiations since nationalists will highlight this dispute as part of the national agenda. The current government is now under scrutiny over this issue,” Adinda said.
The dispute will certainly be at the center of talks at the ASEAN Summit on the weekend, with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natelagawa declaring “the conflict would be discussed at the ASEAN Summit on a bilateral and multilateral basis”.
Civil society organizations attending the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN Peoples’ Forum in Jakarta on Thursday called on ASEAN to immediately impose a cease-fire to the fighting.
“Bilateral talks have proven ineffective, so it is crucial for ASEAN leaders to play a leading role in ending the conflict,” Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association president Thun Saray said.
“ASEAN should deploy observers along the disputed border area as soon as possible and promote its role to maintain a permanent cease-fire in the region,” Thai national Suntaree H. Saeng-ging said, reading out the joint statement with Thun Saray.
3 comments:
Everyone including the Thais themselves knows this issue can't be resolved bilaterally because the Thai government does not want it to come to an end before their upcoming general election. They keep blaming Cambodian but when the Cambodian government proposed to have third parties to help in order to end the conflict the Thai government refused. so what does Abhisit want? I think thai should feel a shame to have such a leader...I feel sorry for the Thais and hope the next gov will be better in handling the issues than the Abhisit gov.
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 30,000 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 30,000km2 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 30,000 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 every day.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 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?
Koh Tral was a Cambodian island, and technically and legally, remained a Cambodian island until today.
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
Since Hun Sen was a Khmer Rouge commander of the Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime, now a Khmer Rouge leader of the Cambodian Peoples Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime and had many of his political opponents and journalists assassinated, I wonder if he have any plan to assassinate the Thai Prime Minister (Ahbullshit Vejjajiva)?
Post a Comment