10/05/2011
Wassana Nanuam and AGENCIES
Bangkok Post
JAKARTA : The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand have agreed on a deal via a so-called "package solution " to allow the deployment of Indonesian monitors to their disputed border area.
Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong met yesterday to try to iron out their differences after the two countries' prime ministers Abhisit Vejjajiva and Hun Sen failed to reach an agreement during talks at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit on Sunday.
"The achievement this afternoon exceeded my expectations," said Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa in the wake of the talks that he mediated.
"I'm not underestimating the scale of the problem, but they have overcome their mutually exclusive demands," he said.
Hor Namhong said Cambodia and Thailand had agreed to a "package solution" on sending observers to the disputed area, the Kyodo News agency reported.
He said the solution was to combine six points in one, that is, both sides would have to first exchange letters of acceptance on the terms of reference for the Indonesian Observer Team (IOT), and at the same time announce the dates of the meetings of the General Border Committee (GBC) and the Joint Border Commission (JBC) of the two countries.
Points three and four are to send a survey team to the disputed area and convene meetings of the GBC and JBC with five days, he said.
Points five and six are to send the full assignment of the IOT and follow up on the results of GBC and JBC meetings within 10 days.
Indonesia, this year's Asean chairman, has tried to facilitate talks over the two countries' joint claims to the 4.6-square-kilometre land plot adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple.
The two sides had signed up to Indonesia's proposal to send observers to monitor a ceasefire on their common border on Feb 22 at the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, but the deployment was delayed because Bangkok demanded that Cambodian troops and civilians withdraw from the area around the temple site first.
The Cambodian side, meanwhile, had insisted that the monitoring team be deployed before any negotiations on troop withdrawal could resume under the GBC.
Under the compromise, the two foreign ministers agreed that Thailand's formal approval for the deployment of the Indonesian monitoring team would be made on the same date as the announcement of the committee's next meeting, Mr Marty said.
Yesterday's agreement must still be approved by both countries' leaders, however.
In Bangkok, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said he agreed with Prime Minister Abhisit's demand that Cambodia withdraw its troops from the disputed area before Indonesia sends its observers there.
He said a GBC meeting should be held first to explore ways of enabling Thai and Cambodian troops to stay in place before the terms of reference are signed to deploy the observers.
Gen Prawit will attend the Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting in Indonesia on May 18-21.
He is expected to discuss with Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh preparations for the 8th GBC meeting, a military source said.
Meanwhile, Malaysia yesterday blamed Thailand for renewed clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border, saying a solution was being delayed as Thailand was demanding that Cambodia first pull troops out of the temple area before letting observers in.
"An agreement had been agreed upon. [Thailand] should adhere to it, I wouldn't want to say lacking in faith ... [but] they did not adhere to the agreement," Malaysian deputy foreign minister Richard Riot Jaem was quoted by AFP as saying.
"Thailand refused and that's why the skirmish came again," said Mr Riot, who attended the Asean meeting.
Acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said Mr Riot's remarks contradicted what Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said at the Asean summit to support the two countries in solving the border problem bilaterally.Meanwhile, the border area in Surin province enjoyed its seventh day free of gunfire yesterday but soldiers on both sides were still confronting each other from Ta Kwai temple in tambon Bak Dai to Ta Muen Thom temple in tambon Ta Miang of Phanom Dong Rak district.
The Chong Jom border pass opened yesterday and over 80% of Thai and Cambodian vendors reopened their stalls at a local market near the border pass on the Thai side.
There were more Cambodian buyers than Thais at the market and they stocked up on piles of consumer products for their customers.
Local people want both governments to negotiate and withdraw their soldiers from the border as soon as possible because their confrontation increases the possibility of clashing.
7 comments:
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,
The new policy of Hun Sen regime today is to kill all Ex Khmer Rouge because they are the true Khmer patriot that can be harmful to Hun Sen regime as Vietnam slave.
Hun Sen regime sends all Ex Khmer rouge soldiers to frontline fighting with Thai army without enough weapons and foods. Hun Sen ordered the front line army do not fire back to Thai Army while they bomb Ex Khmer Rouge over 50 000 shells. These actions are representing very clear that Hun Sen is trying to clear or kill all Ex Khmer Rouge army by using Thai hands.
The true and real Khmer patriots are the enemy of Hun Sen regime. Vietnam is scare of Ex Khmer Rouge Soldiers as they have been defeat Vietnam army (Over 10 000 Vietnam soldiers have been killed by EX Khmer Rouge Army in Cambodia. That is lead to Vietnam withdraw out of Cambodia) before 1993.
The new policy of Hun Sen regime today is to kill all Ex Khmer Rouge because they are the true Khmer patriot that can be harmful to Hun Sen regime as Vietnam slave.
Hun Sen regime sends all Ex Khmer rouge soldiers to frontline fighting with Thai army without enough weapons and foods. Hun Sen ordered the front line army do not fire back to Thai Army while they bomb Ex Khmer Rouge over 50 000 shells. These actions are representing very clear that Hun Sen is trying to clear or kill all Ex Khmer Rouge army by using Thai hands.
The true and real Khmer patriots are the enemy of Hun Sen regime. Vietnam is scare of Ex Khmer Rouge Soldiers as they have been defeat Vietnam army (Over 100 000 Vietnam soldiers have been killed by EX Khmer Rouge Army in Cambodia. That is lead to Vietnam withdraw out of Cambodia) before 1993.
Then what? There will be disagreement on maps used to Survey the disputed area, the problem continues. Enforcement of the ICJ is the only soln.
"Package Solution"????? This phrase sounds familiar to me. I think Samdach Krom Preah knows it better.
12:55PM! you want ah pret go to the front line????
12:55p! Pm!!! If...Samdach Hun Sen Nee.. Need ME! I will do IT!
Th th thank you for think..kkking of me!
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