Monday, May 09, 2011

Leaders back Asean chair in resolving Thai-Cambodia border dispute

Monday May 9, 2011
Mergawati Zulfakar
The Star Online (Malaysia)

JAKARTA: Asean leaders who ended their 18th summit here have given strong support to Indonesia as the current Asean chair to continue mediating in the bloody border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.

The leaders, concerned over the clashes which overshadowed the weekend summit, reiterated their stand during a retreat yesterday that they wanted the dispute to be resolved amicably.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono chaired a trilateral meeting with the Thai and Cambodian leaders before the retreat.

“At the retreat, all Asean leaders expressed their views that this matter should be resolved in the Asean neighbourly spirit.


“The leaders are confident that the role of Indonesia as Asean chair and mediator to the conflict, will ensure that negotiation will be the best solution accepted by Asean,” he told the Malaysian media here.

Cambodian leader Hun Sen took aim at his Thai counterpart Abhisit Vejjajiva in a closed-door session on Saturday.

Hun Sen admitted after yesterday's meeting that the row was “spoiling” the South-East Asian summit, which was supposed to focus on efforts to create a harmonised regional economic community by 2015.

“Everyone knows that the problem of the Thai-Cambodia border has been spoiling the atmosphere and also creates a challenge for Asean,” he told a press conference after the meeting.

Hun Sen had earlier accused accused Thailand of invading Cambodia and seeking to prolong the conflict “in order to violate weaker neighbouring Asean members”.

“The invasion of the Thai troops into Cambodia's territory resulted in a series of clashes and eventually a large-scale war from Feb 4 to Feb 7,” he told the other Asean leaders.

Around 18 people have been killed and 85,000 have been temporarily displaced in weeks of clashes over ownership of a small patch of territory surrounding an 11th-century Khmer temple. The temple itself belongs to Cambodia.

Abhisit in his defence said Thailand had no intention to have conflicts and expressed disappointment over Hun Sen's remarks.

“I accept that the issue could affect the credibility of Asean. We must therefore make sure that any problem should be solved, locally, bilaterally and if needed with the facilitation of the region,” he said.

“Thailand recognises full well that any conflict between Asean member states can undermine Asean's community-building efforts.

Najib also touched on Myanmar being given the Asean chair in 2014, saying Susilo would visit Myanmar and Asean would wait for his assessment report.

Commenting on reports that Asean was criticised for the move, the Prime Minister said Myanmar had implemented changes and had undergone changes.

“We will always encourage Myanmar to continue with its reconciliation process and hope the situation there will improve,” he added.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thai today politic is almost the same USA politic in Vietnam from 19 60 t0 1975.
During this time, Thai helped the US to bomb Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, because the US Army only have the virus of communist in their mind. They feel, they was able to eliminate the communist in Vietnam by doing the big wars. But Vietnam won the war with the help of Cambodia and Laos. The US lost the war and leave the innocent people alone.
Now, the Thai government is going into the same situation of attacking Cambodia. Because Thai has the Khmer virus in their body and mind. They have the feeling, must eliminate the Khmer included Khmer Surin plus other Khmer descents in Thailand from this planet. Afterward they can inform the world, that Thai is the descent people of the former Khmer King Jayavarman.
But please, remembered at the end we real Khmer will win this fight without Vietnam again the Thai aggressors, because we have the Khmer blood and know, what we are fighting for.

Anonymous said...

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,

Anonymous said...

Khmer men today are shit and chicken can't even stand for their Nation and Country.

Anonymous said...

Thai is an asian trator of the southeast asia since world war i and world war 2. Thai allowed the white to use their country to attack all asian nations including but limited to, USSR, Viet, Khemer, Chinese, Japany, Burma, Loas, Indonesia and more. In other words they helped the white to attack their neighbouring countries instead of loving your neighbours like you loved yourself. Therefore, now is the time to reflect back about what went wrong in southeast asia. The end has to come and it has to be done on earth and as it is in heaven. Asian nations have to make Thai nation pay for what they have done for over centuries.

I warned Thai to stay away from Khmer but they insisted to continue to do more harm, so from here there will be no more mercy on for you since you have done so much damaged to us. It is called "karma' and now is the time for all asian nations to come together targeting the Thai trator.

Wisdom

Anonymous said...

First Strong reaction from Asean member:


Malaysia blames Thailand over Cambodia border clash


http://news.malaysia.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4829086

Anonymous said...

But the Philippines action seems suspicious. I think Philippines was on Thailand side.