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| Abhisit: Soldiers to stay for time being. |
Next govt to decide on bilateral Cambodia talks
20/07/2011
Pradit Ruangdit, Nopparat Kingkaeo and Prasit Tangprasert
Bangkok Post
Outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the decision on bilateral negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia to comply with the International Court of Justice's ruling will rest with the next government.
Mr Abhisit discussed the implication of the court's verdict ordering both Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw troops from a provisional demilitarised zone which the court defined around the Preah Vihear temple with security authorities, the Foreign Ministry and the Council of State yesterday.
He ordered foreign affairs and defence officials to set a direction for negotiations to take place.
Mr Abhisit said he hopes the new government will follow the direction to be proposed by the authorities and that the new government will do its best to protect Thai territory.
For the time being, Mr Abhisit insisted that Thai soldiers would stay in their present locations to protect the areas Thailand considers its territory.
He said the court's order for a troop withdrawal concerns many people in both Thailand and Cambodia. After the meeting, Mr Abhisit said the demilitarised zone drawn up by the ICJ covers an area of 17.3 square kilometres and reaches deeper into both sides of the watershed line that Thailand viewed as its border with Cambodia.
See also:
Yingluck, Abhisit approved
Respect the court
According to Mr Abhisit, the DMZ comprises 8.5 sq km of Thai soil and 8.8 sq km of Cambodian soil.
The Thai part includes 4.5 sq km of the 4.6-sq km disputed area surrounding Preah Vihear temple.
Sources familiar with the court procedure said this was the first time the court specified a map for both parties to work on.
The reason could be that the court believes with each side holding on to its own territorial claims, Thailand and Cambodia would not talk to each other to end the conflict.
The sources said they do not understand what basis the world court used to draw the DMZ.
That the troops-free zone is larger than the 4.6 sq km disputed area could mean the court did not want to rule on the boundary issue yet or to disappoint either country, the sources said.
According to Mr Abhisit, Cambodia would have to pull about 4,000 soldiers from the zone if it is to honour the court's provisional measure. The number of Thai soldiers to be pulled out was much smaller, he said.
The PM indicated that a process must be established to assure that Cambodia would not send its military personnel to the DMZ again. This includes a means to detect if soldiers are sent into the area in civilian guise.
Mr Abhisit said it would be necessary to check if Cambodians who live in the disputed area are really civilians.
Mr Abhisit insisted that the order would not have any impact on Thai territory.
The setting up of the DMZ is a temporary measure to reduce the risk of clashes while the court considers Cambodia's request for reinterpretation of the 1962 ruling which awarded it Preah Vihear, he said.
Sources said the Monday ruling which demanded Cambodia to also pull its soldiers from the area must be disappointing for the country.
"Cambodia has refused to withdraw military personnel from the temple even though it was required by the 1999 memorandum of understanding signed by both countries and despite repeated requests by Thailand," the sources said.
Mr Abhisit said there has not yet been any sign of military withdrawal by Cambodia.
On Tuesday, Bayon Radio of Phnom Penh announced that Cambodia had "won" the court case at the ICJ.
The radio also stated that Cambodian soldiers would stay put at their present locations. Cambodian people could rest assured that the temple area and places where there are Cambodian communities belong to Cambodia.
Col Prawit Hukaeo, spokesman for the 2nd Army supervising the Thai border with Cambodia, said situations along the border have remained calm but both Thai and Cambodian soldiers were still deployed on the border.
Col Prawit said his unit despatched public relations officers to meet villagers living near the border.
He said most residents had a good understanding about the situation but some people had already packed their belongings and were ready to evacuate the area.
Surapol Pongthadsirikul, deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, said the ministry has prepared evacuation plans for people living near the border.
It has also put into place measures to prevent acts of espionage and sabotage on Thai soil.
Meanwhile, the United States renewed its call for Thailand and Cambodia to resolve their rift peacefully.
"The United States has consistently called upon both sides to continue dialogue and exercise maximum restraint in order to peacefully resolve their disputes and strengthen regional stability," said State Department spokeswoman Heide Bronke Fulton.
9 comments:
Of course, the headline should read: "Abhisit passes ICJ buck"
Empty talk & buck-passing - that's Mark for you.
look at that face, still a baby and need to grow up! desparate to violate the law! that's pathetic!
i have a feel the next ruling coming up will shame siem thugs like a river of no return, if they keep on violation the law!
Abishit is making things more difficult again. He is the obstacle to peace and he is not complying to the World Court's orders.
The World Court did not clarify the 1962 Verdict, they orders Cambodia and Thailand to do the same thing. I hope they will continue to support Cambodia to reclaiming and enforced the 1962 verdict that officially recognized in the UN and by both parties.
Thailand is upset because they did not get what they want and continues claiming something they know in their heart isn't theirs in the first place. If the UN allows Thailand to get a piece of Cambodia's land in this modern age it surely will set a very black image on the UN and set a very example for more trouble to come.
don't forget, this is just a "provisional" ruling, the final one takes a little bit more time, ok! siem will have no choice but to take order from the icj, the court of law, etc! siem thugs are fighting with the law now, good luck!
Here are the last 7 Khmer Provinces that Thai has controlled recently and need to give back to Cambodia once day in the future, These Provinces are already claimed by General Lon Nol in 1974, and after the statistic in 1974, there have 14 millions khmer people in Thailand, there have now around 30 millions Khmer People today live in Thailand,
These are the last 7 Khmer Provinces that Thai has been took recently :
1/ Surin (call Khmer Soren)
2/ Buriram (or Boreiram)
3/ Srah Keo (or Sah Keo)
4/ Sisaket (or Sri Saket)
5/ Chanthaburi
6/ Trat
7/ Ubon Ratchathani
And others Khmer Provinces need to give back also to Cambodia that Thai has been pick up from Cambodia in year 1833 during Khmer King Ang Chan II in that period khmer has been lost the war again Thai and Annam,
32/ Nakhon Ratchasima
40/ Prachin Buri
44/ Chachoengsao
45/ Chon Buri
At 1904 and 1907, Thai has agreed to give back to Cambodia only 4 Provinces :
1/ Siem Reap,
2/ Battambang,
3/ Svay Sisophon,
4/ Posat
These provinces has been back officially to Cambodia in 1947 in the Cambodia Map during The King Sihanouk Governement.
cambodia must demand the return of all our old khmer provinces. this is unacceptable for siem thugs to steal from cambodia like this! no excuses in the world can justify siem thugs robbing of khmer land. of course, the same with viet/youn thugs! these are two historical enemies of cambodia, and to some extent laos too, but laos they always follow in the footsteps of cambodia, so we accept that and laos always recognized that they appreciated cambodia's assistance to their nation since angkor time. but these two siem thugs and viet/youn thugs is a different story altogether. khmer must advocate and demand these two thugs return all of our old khmer provinces back to cambodia soon! cambodia does not forget forever, you know! for youn, it is koh tral island that cambodia want return soon. for siem, it is all of the mentioned provinces above must be returned to cambodia soon, you know! camobdia cannot forget they robbed from cambodia!
THESE TWO NATIONS!,(THE VIETNAMESE+THE SIAMESE),THEY ARE THE KHMER'S ENEMIES OF HISTORIES!.KOL BOT AND KOL THYDA KHMER,MUSTN'T FORGET THESE TWO FACES FOR THE NEXT TRILLION YEARS AHEAD!.UNITED KHMER'S PEOPLES STAND,DIVIDED KHMER'S PEOPLES FALL!,ALWAYS LOVE AT EACH OTHER,ACCEPTING A LITTLE THING WHICH HAS DONE WRONG,FORGIVE AND FORGET IT!.DO NOT LISTEN TO THESE TWO ENEMIES AND AFTER THAT,KHMER AND KHMER KILL EACH OTHER!,THEN OUR BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE SHALL BE SHRUNK.GODBUDHHA BLESS KHMER'S PEOPLES ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
I accepted what you wrote on your
blog,this one on Thai side.
About Khmer Krom(1949),Koh Tral
(1975)and sea water (1975).
Vietnam govt is taking along
Khmer-Vietnam border recently.
Even stupid Lao took some part
of Khmer land too.
Cambodians have two eyes,but
should look at three corners
of Khmer land.
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