Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Oil dispute flares up

Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Tom Brennan and Vong Sohkeng
The Phnom Penh Post

Secret meetings between high-ranking Thai and Cambodian officials to solve the demarcation of disputed offshore petroleum resources took place during the administration of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority revealed yesterday.

In a statement some commentators described as “coordinated attack” by the current Cambodian and Thai governments against political opponents, it also claimed there have been no such discussions since the election of Puea Thai in July.

The two countries first signed a memorandum of understanding on joint management of the Overlapping Claims Area in 2001, with a joint working group discussing further details from 2001 to 2007. The MoU for managing the OCA, which is thought to hold significant oil and gas reserves, was put on hold by the Thai government in November 2009.

“Even during the past few years when the [joint working group] did not meet formally, the Abhisit government continued to engage the Royal Government of Cambodia in negotiations on the OCA on multiple occasions …” the statement said.


Discussions had been held by high-ranking officials including Prime Minister Hun Sen and Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, and Thai counterparts such as former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and former Minister of Defence Pravit Wongsuwan, it said.

Those meetings took place between June 2009 and July 2010 in locations including Kandal province, Kunming, China, and Hong Kong, according to the CNPA. Suthep Thaugsuban at the time “indicated a strong preference to resolve this issue during the mandate of the Abhisit government,” and was instructed to do so by Abhisit Vejjajiva himself.

The CNPA claimed that Abhisit Vejjajiva had “wildly accused [deposed former Thai Prime Minister] Thaksin Shinawatra, who openly worked with Cambodia, of having secret interests with Cambodia”, adding that Abhisit Vejjajiva is now “attempting to derail” any future talks between Cambodia and the newly elected Thai government.

“Cambodia is obliged to reveal this secret in order to protect the interests of Cambodia and H.E. Thaksin Shinawatra against the baseless allegations made on the part of the Democrats,” it said.

Although representatives from the Thai Democrat Party could not be reached yesterday, some expert observers questioned the overtly political nature of the statement.

Pavin Chachavalpongpun, lead researcher for political and strategic affairs at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies’ ASEAN Studies Centre in Singapore said the statement could be the result of political maneuvering by the governments in Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

“I should think that this is a coordinated attack between Cambodia and the Yingluck government in discrediting the Democrat [Party] and at the same time enhancing their position at home,” he said.

OCA negotiations most likely will not be hurt by recent claims from the Democrat Party, he added. In fact, he said they may result in greater transparency as Cambodia and Thailand look for an equitable solution.

Regardless, the issue will remain unsolved until the two countries find a solution to the disputed area around Preah Vihear temple, said Christopher Larkin, managing director of political risk consultancy CLC Asia.

“No matter what Thaksin’s relationship with Cambodia is, I think an agreement on the street level is something that’s not palatable to the Thai public. Preah Vihear needs to be solved first.”

He added that the OCA was a “very politically unpopular issue” in Thailand, and that compromise of any kind carried with it serious political risk.

“I think there is the worry within policy-making circles that any talk of settling the maritime disputes generally leads to accusations of ‘selling out’, especially from the Thai side, where compromises on the Preah Vihear issue are seen as a trade-off for additional economic benefit from the Cambodians in the OCA.”

The CNPA’s statement also highlighted claims from Democrat Party Member of Parliament Anik Amranand last week, who it says accused Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s government and Cambodia of meeting in secret to negotiate over the OCA for reasons of personal rather than public interest.

The CNPA yesterday denied such meetings took place, though added it hoped talks would openly resume soon.

“So far, the newly formed government led by Prime Minister Yingluck has not yet held any meeting or raised any proposal with the Royal Government of Cambodia to resolve the OCA, let alone any proposal to settle the dispute in exchange for any private individual gains as alleged by” Anik Amranand, it said.

“Nevertheless, the Royal Government of Cambodia would welcome the resumption of open and official negotiation on this issue and will pursue such a course as soon as practicable in the mutual interests of both people and countries.”

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Should not have a meeting in the first place. There is no overlapping sea border with Thailand. That maritime sea border belongs to Cambodia, according to Cambodia sea/land map in UN.

Thai knows that they has nothing to lose trying to foul Khmer Ah Chhke Hun Sen because they know Ah Hun Sen is a stupid dumb Khmer prime minister. They know at least they got some thing out of it. So why not trying...!

Anonymous said...

What dispute? The whole sea region belongs to Thailand, the name says it all: The gulf of Thailand, not the gulf of Cambodia, ok?

Anonymous said...

gười Khmer tối và đẹp, không phải làm việc chăm chỉ để sống ở Golden Grove (tương tự VIETCONGS ).... tôi đã được sống ở đây kể từ khi, không có Việt Cộng với người đàn ông trắng của tôi và 4 trẻ em ...Morgate miễn phí baybay .... không cần phải lo lắng ...... Vietcongs làm việc rất chăm chỉ và espcially tốt với GIẢ MẠO Chính phủ và KILLER chó ..... xuống địa ngục, BẠN VIETCONGS EVIL DỪNG ĂN ..... chó, LOTS CỦA THỰC PHẨM TẠI ĐÂY .... LẠI CỦA chó ALONE BITCH.

PS ..... tôi đọc nhận xét của bạn, bạn âm thanh hơn Khmer với tôi, nhưng giả vờ là người Việt chó ..... ĐỊA NGỤC chó và ngừng ăn chó !!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

for a handulf hands from siamese, yuons promised to share Khmer oil and land with siamese , what hun has to do is to obey to yuon order

Anonymous said...

what the yuon scrip meant I may ask?

Anonymous said...

11:50PM

GET LOST

Anonymous said...

11:50PM


Người Khmer tối và đẹp, không phải làm việc chăm chỉ để sống ở Golden Grove (tương tự VIETCONGS ).... tôi đã được sống ở đây kể từ khi, không có Việt Cộng với người đàn ông trắng của tôi và 4 trẻ em ...Morgate miễn phí baybay .... không cần phải lo lắng ...... Vietcongs làm việc rất chăm chỉ và espcially tốt với GIẢ MẠO Chính phủ và KILLER chó ..... xuống địa ngục, BẠN VIETCONGS EVIL DỪNG ĂN ..... chó, LOTS CỦA THỰC PHẨM TẠI ĐÂY .... LẠI CỦA chó ALONE BITCH.

PS ..... tôi đọc nhận xét của bạn, bạn âm thanh hơn Khmer với tôi, nhưng giả vờ là người Việt chó ..... ĐỊA NGỤC chó và ngừng ăn chó !!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

10:50 PM Name does not mean any thing, you're stupid. Does Indian Ocean mean the while ocean belongs to India? South China Sea...does it belong to China the whole thing?

You are so stupid and so dumb. Go to school some more!

Anonymous said...

Khamen ships be careful, if I see you in the Gulf of THailand, we will shoot your head out. But I forgot, Khamen is too dumb, they don't know how to get oil in the ocean, it's just a waste, LOL

Thailand royal naval captain

Anonymous said...

1:57AM



ประเทศที่ประเทศไทยมีทั้งที่เป็นของเขมรไม่ได้คุณรู้มั้ยว่า? จะดูหนัง @ ประวัติความเป็นมา .... คุณเถียตไทย, การสร้างประวัติปลอมและ steealing และมากกว่า takeing everythings จากเขมร / กัมพูชาเพื่อผลประโยชน์และกำไร finaancial ของคุณโดยไม่มีการพิสูจน์ที่มาจากประเทศไทยในโลก ไทยจะได้รับที่ถูกกว่าและไม่มีค่า
ไทยที่คัดลอกมาจากเขมร ceverythings เช่นวัฒนธรรมการเต้นรำ, เพลง, เสื้อผ้า, ประเพณี, อาหาร, การผลิต, และอื่น ๆ ........ ถ้าคุณไม่ทราบว่าค้นหาอะไรในประวัติศาสตร์และคุณเสียงใบ้มาก .. bitch ....

Anonymous said...

1:57AM


ประเทศที่ประเทศไทยมีทั้งที่เป็นของเขมรไม่ได้คุณรู้มั้ยว่า? จะดูหนัง @ ประวัติความเป็นมา .... คุณเถียตไทย, การสร้างประวัติปลอมและ steealing และมากกว่า takeing everythings จากเขมร / กัมพูชาเพื่อผลประโยชน์และกำไร finaancial ของคุณโดยไม่มีการพิสูจน์ที่มาจากประเทศไทยในโลก ไทยจะได้รับที่ถูกกว่าและไม่มีค่า
ไทยที่คัดลอกมาจากเขมร everythings เช่นวัฒนธรรมการเต้นรำ, เพลง, เสื้อผ้า, ประเพณี, อาหาร, การผลิต, และอื่น ๆ ........ ถ้าคุณไม่ทราบว่าค้นหาอะไรในประวัติศาสตร์และคุณเสียงใบ้มาก .. .... bitch ..... คุณเพียงคนเดียวเท่านั้นที่จะ prented Vietcong ไทยหรือความเห็นที่ไม่ดีบน Ki - MEDIA ทุกที่ ..... ฉันคิดว่าคุณจะต้องได้รับจีน / Vietcong หรือภาษาจีน / กัมพูชา ... . ครับถ้าคุณเกลียดคนเขมร ...... ได้รับการออกจากประเทศกัมพูชาของเรา .... ผมเคยได้ยินหลายท่านเสมอพูดไม่ดีเกี่ยวกับกัมพูชา, espcially จีนที่มาจากประเทศกัมพูชาที่อาศัยอยู่ใน สหรัฐ ... เพื่อน ๆ ของคุณจะฉลาดมากที่มีธุรกิจได้ทุกที่ แต่คุณมีทั้งหมดทุจริตรัฐบาลสหรัฐ ....... และมองลงในคนกัมพูชาจะไม่สมาร์ทเช่นคุณ ....... คนเป็นชาวกัมพูชา อย่างดีและซื่อสัตย์ไม่ชอบที่คุณกำลังทำและการทำงานในการทุจริตของรัฐบาลสหรัฐและตัวเองเป็นสมาร์ทมากด้วยการทำไม่ดี !!!!....... somethings เพื่อปิด fuck ขึ้นแล้ว

Anonymous said...

Don't use google translate too much, your Thai is fucked up, dumb dog Khmer, 555. you only know copy and paste?What can I expect from a dumb dog

Anonymous said...

4:56AM HI, are you from Pattaya Thailand?? Vietcong/Vietnams, Cambodia/Chinese or Viets/Chinese

You have too much hate on Khmer/Cambodians people. What did Cambodian people ever do to you???

Anonymous said...

Muslim insurgency in Thailand's restive south heats up...
Good Luck! You're next.

Anonymous said...

អា អភិសទ្ធិ ឈ្លោះព្រោះព្រះវិហារ។ នាង
អប្បល័ក្ខណ៍ឈ្លោះព្រោះប្រេងនៅឈូងសមុទ្រ។
សៀមខ្មែរមានបញ្ហាមិនចេះចប់ យួនសម្ងំបន្លប់
បញ្ជូនរាស្ត្រវាចូល និង ធ្វើពាណិជ្ជកម្មលើក្បាល
ខ្មែរ។
ខ្មែរភ្លចខ្លួនរឿងយួនចូលស្រុក។ពួកវាកសំបុក
បុករុកសម្រុកយកដីខ្មែរ។ខ្មែរឈ្លោះសៀម
យួនយកដី ។
ឈ្មោះឈូងសមុទ្រថៃ តែមានព្រំដែនកំនត់
ប្រវែង និង ទំហំ ទ្រង់ទ្រាយដែរ។ គឺមិន
មែនឈូងសមុទ្រថៃ ហើយជារបស់ថៃទាំង
អស់ទេ។
ដូច្នេះ ខ្មែរត្រូវដឹងថា ខ្លួនមានទំហំទឹកសមុទ្រ
របស់ខ្លួនធំប៉ុណ្ណា ហើយ យកផែនទីណាជា
កំនត់សំគាល់រវាងសៀម ហើយ នឹងខ្មែរ។
សៀមវាមិនចោលក្បួនឬពុត យួនក៏មិនចោល
ពុត ក្បួនដែរ តែខ្មែរត្រូវតែមានចិត្តមុះមុតប្រ
យុទ្ធជនជាតិកំនាចទាំងពីរដោយសាមគ្គី។

Anonymous said...

Just look at the fucken map! What does the fucken map says about the maritime boundary between Cambodia-Thailand?

The Malaysian is another model that Cambodian can take a second look...If the Siem want to die trying to steal what belong to Cambodia and let them die!