Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post
Gen Vichit Yathip, the former deputy supreme commander, is expected to be made adviser to the defence minister. He is well connected with Cambodia's leaders, and is likely to help the government mend ties with Phnom Penh. Here he speaks about the challenges ahead.
Q: What is Cambodia's reaction to the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting which will take place in the next few weeks in an attempt to improve border ties?
A: Very good. Since the Pheu Thai Party's victory in the election, there's been a positive response from Phnom Penh. Prime Minister Hun Sen is ready to have the GBC meeting set up. [Cambodian deputy prime minister and defence minister] Gen Tea Banh, who will co-chair the meeting, has written to congratulate Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa and invite him to visit Cambodia.
The meeting could take place by early next month after the Regional Border Committee meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Second Army headquarters in Nakhon Ratchasima.
After that, a delegation including the Department of Border Affairs chief under the Royal Thai Armed Forces will travel to Cambodia to help prepare for the GBC meeting.
Q: Some reports say Cambodia doesn't want Indonesian observers in the disputed border area, is this true?
A: It may have been a misunderstanding. Gen Tea Banh has affirmed the Indonesian observers are needed to monitor the area, as agreed earlier.
Q: Do you plan to go to Cambodia?
A: I will go. We'll be there to talk and prepare for the meeting ahead of Gen Yutthasak's visit. We have many issues to discuss. But that shouldn't be a problem, because we're close.
Q: You've been in touch with Cambodia. How will the International Court of Justice's ruling [on the demilitarisation of the disputed border area] be implemented?
A: Cambodia said it would follow procedures and withdraw its troops from the area bound by the ruling. Gen Tea Banh said the ICJ stipulated that Cambodia must pull out its soldiers stationed at the rear of Preah Vihear temple, all the way to a military outpost at Ban Komui. The soldiers of the two countries must be kept far apart to prevent security tensions.
Q: Are police deployed in place of the soldiers?
A: Both countries have deployed their own police in the area. Cambodia says the police will be armed with handguns but not war weapons. They need firearms to deal with bandits and thieves and for self-defence.
Q: Will the Pheu Thai Party succeed in resolving the Thai-Cambodian border conflict?
A: There have been positive signs. The relations between the leaders of the two countries are cordial. During the general election, Cambodia was keeping its fingers crossed and was glad Pheu Thai won. Cambodia doesn't want to fight and we should be good neighbours.
Q: Do you think using personal connections to get jobs done means we might be letting Cambodia exploit us?
A: No. Before we agree to anything, we consider the matter carefully. No one is put at a disadvantage. We take people's concerns on board and we'll tend to those concerns. We're doing everything to forge peace and maintain relations between the two countries.
Q: It has been reported that [ousted prime minister] Thaksin Shinawatra plans to enter Cambodia.
A: I've asked the Cambodian authorities and they said that is not the case. I believe Thaksin knows what he should do and when.
Q: If and when you become the defence minister's adviser, how do you propose to tackle problems related to disputes with Cambodia?
A: With or without the position, I'm willing to help. I was distressed to see Thailand and Cambodia embroiled in problems. Gen Yutthasak asked me to assist him and I accepted. If I have a position, I'll be able to work more effectively.
2 comments:
Hi Everyone,
One of KI-Media member who has his name in Facebook as Khmer Sovannaphumi but his real name is Pang Sokhoeun, former political asylum and now living in Sweden. He always copies news from here to post in his facebook profile to promote himself, but right now, he tries to remove and blocked anyone who dares to reveal his con activity particular he tries to hide what he has cheated his wife (Sreypov Chea) by having a girlfriend (Sokunthear Sam) behind his wife back. Now, his girlfriend had run way from him after she knew his cheating.
A con man Pang Sokhoeun as well as KI-Media like to insult to the government officers who have affairs, but himself does even worse than other people. What a shame!
When one person had posted in KI-Media and accused that a con man Pang Sokhoeun is a brother of Som Ek (former Chief of Tiger's head sign guerilla, who was arrested and put in prison by Cambodian government) during that time, a cheater Pang Sokhoeun came to deny in his blogs immediately and had pointed the blame to Mr. Sourn Serey Rotha, but this time, he has bury his head in the sand because he cannot deny the truth that he has cheated his wife. Right now, all he can do is removed and blocked anyone who dared to reveal his cheating.
HUN SEN COMPLETELY FORGETS WHAT WAS HIS POSITION BEFORE AND AFTER THE DECISION OF THE ICJ IN THE HAGUE. HE ASSURED THE KHMER PEOPLE
THAT IT WON'T BE ANY TALK WITH SIAM
WITHOUT A THIRD PARTY WHICH IS THE
INDONESIAN OBSERVERS. WHY DID HE CHANGE HIS MIND? WAS IT BECAUSE OF
OIL BUSINESS WITH THAKSIN SHINAWATRA? MR. HUN SEN! DON'T YOU ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH? YOU HAVE DONE MORE THAN ENOUGH HARM TO CAMBODIA, DO NOT DISTROY HER COMPLETELY, LEAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
SI ENG KRUY
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