Channel News Asia
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Monday blamed Thailand for the renewed clashes on the Thai-Cambodia border, saying it had reneged on a deal to send observers to the disputed region.
The dispute overshadowed a weekend summit of the 10-member Southeast Asian bloc, where Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen launched into a tirade against Thailand over the conflict that has left 18 dead since last month.
Thailand and Cambodia agreed in February to accept Indonesian military observers on the border but the initiative remains on ice due to Thai demands that Cambodia first pull troops out of the temple.
"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 told reporters.
"Thailand refused and that's why the skirmish came again," said Riot, who attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting where it was agreed 30 observers would be stationed on either side of the border.
"All the 10 countries, I stress, including Thailand and Cambodia, agreed to the agreement but sad to say, the agreement was brought back to the respective two countries. Cambodia accepted it, Thailand did not accept," he said.
"Before this, Cambodia was pointing at Thailand as starting the attack and Thailand said it was Cambodia who started ...so to (determine) who started the skirmish... The foreign ministers decided to assign observers."
Some 85,000 people 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.
The relationship between the two countries has been strained since the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.
Sporadic cross-border fights have erupted since then, occasionally claiming lives, but the recent violence -- mainly at a new flashpoint about 150 km (90 miles) west of Preah Vihear -- has been the fiercest yet.
ASEAN's weakness in conflict resolution was thrown into stark relief Sunday when the leaders' final statement after the summit in Jakarta merely said the dispute "should be amicably resolved in the spirit of ASEAN solidarity".
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono hosted an unscheduled meeting with the Thai and Cambodian leaders on Sunday but it failed to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations.
15 comments:
Other Asean foreign ministers should be brave enough to speaker out like Malaysian deputy foreign Minister.
I think PM Abisit was happy that he could corner PM Hun Sen at the meeting. But frankly speaking, it was Abisit who should be cornered.
Now the world should understand why the bilateral agreement of meetings between Cambodia and Thailand since 2008 could not be implemented.
Nobody knows the Thais better than the Thais themselves...but the Cambodians maybe second...
After 900 years of bitter-sweet relations between Khmers and Thais...The same tactics by Thais never change. Many Cambodians have coined a phrase recently that "the Thais signed with their hands and erased with their feet."....now the world can see why who started the clash and that bilateral negotiations do not work. Cambodia wants a witness to all agreements....peace and stability, not war.
Don't blame on Thailand! blame on
Vietnam. Vietnam is the root cause for all of this mess.
Thanks for shairing.
We have only seen Hun Xen has been tough with Thais that's why we have small casualtie, what would happen if we were fighting in the east with the communist thugs Viet thief? thing will get much worst, maybe Thais is bad, but less evil than east. I would like to see Hun thug get tough with evil Viet thief because much more land lost in the east, but have not seen Hun thug, get tough with Viet thief, instead just threat his own people not to challenge him or his Viet thier master.
It is good that the ASEAN member can differentiat the issue of the disputed. The Thai government want to talk bilaterally and locally, so that they can do whatever they want with Cambodia(bully). And Cambodia only respond back accordingly. We have nothing to hide to the world and we have to let the world know who are the criminal ones.
The border conflict is making the world digging out history of Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. By now the world has been fully aware of the invaders are still living on Khmer lands. There is a good chance Cambodia may get all their lands back from Thailand and Vietnam.
No Thai leader can agree on anything or he/she will be punished by the shadow leaders. International Community should stand together for the sake of ASEAN and Thai people. Thai leaders are flip-flopping because they don't hold the switch.
Only international communities can keep everyone safe.
Don't be so greedy! Grab it once at a time while we can. Khmer is too poor and weak against both best enemies at the same time. Make up your mind mate!
B-52 took off from Thai airbase to drop thousand tons of bom in Cambodia. Thai must bear all responsibilty.
Who are the decievers? Are Cambodians greedy because they are fighting to protect their own land?
The B-52 is in Thailand, but it is belong to the U.S. as it hires the base to put it there.
Thai today politic is almost the same USA politic in Vietnam from 1960 t0 1975.
During this time, Thai helped the US to bomb Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, because the US Army only have in their mind the communist virus. They feel, they have to eliminate the communist in Vietnam. But Vietnam won the war with the help of Cambodia and Laos.
Now, the Thai government is going into the same situation of attacking Cambodia and Khmer people. Because Thai has in their body and mind the Khmer virus. Thai feeling is, they have to eliminate all Khmer in Cambodia included Khmer Surin plus other Khmer descents in Thailand from this planet. They have a bad dream and want to manipulate the world, that Thai is the real descent people of the former Khmer King Jayavarman VII.
Please, remember at the end, we the Khmer people will win this fight again the Thai aggressor with or without Vietnam, because we have the Khmer blood and we know, for what we are fighting for
Battambang was under Thai in 1940.
I was born in 1938.After second
world war,Thai left B.bang.
As a Cambodian and a learner I can
give any good credits to Thai and
Vietnam.I have had learned Khmer
history and still learning it now.
"សៀមមិនចោលក្បួន យួនមិនចោលពុត".
I would not translate for you,I am
sorry.
After Khmer empire,Thai and Vietnam
have had treated Cambodia so bad.
Not just because of two of them,but
Khmer leaders too.If they wanted to
be king or prime minister,they depended on Thai and Vietnam,so both of them were glad to help,but
one of them needed some pieces of land and brought some gifts:gold,
silver,and food or beautiful girls.
Vietnam depended on Cambodia during
Vietnam war,North Vietnam and South
Vietnam,Sihanouk let North Vietnam
use Khmer land,but in return Viet
want to take over Cambodia as it
province.
Why Vietnam,Lao,and Cambodia are so
friendly?Lao and Vietnam are communists.And how about Cambodia?
Thai is not aggressor yet,but Vietnam is.
Will Cambodia leaders stop depending on Thai or on Vietnam?
If they stop,Cambodians are so happy.
Post a Comment