Football game is not real life

26/09/2011
Bangkok Post

EDITORIAL

Football diplomacy moves Thai-Cambodian relations forward. It does not settle any of the outstanding bilateral disagreements. Authorities in both countries may be able to use the sports encounter to make progress at more important meetings.

Sports diplomacy is always a good tension breaker. The weekend football match in Phnom Penh was no exception. It was so diplomatic, in fact, that Cambodians joined the Thai team and Thais joined the Cambodian team. With a crowd estimated at 50,000 looking on, everything came up roses, with the team headed by the top dignitary, Prime Minister Hun Sen, coming out on top, with smiles all around. Hands were shaken. Smiles were contagious. A good mood was undeniable. But no problems were solved, and there are important and urgent disagreements between our two countries.

The idea of football diplomacy instigated by some Pheu Thai members of parliament is a good one. For sure there were political motives behind Saturday's game at the Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium. Fugitive ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had already left Cambodia for Hong Kong, but the match was about him, and about the new government led by his sister, Ms Yingluck.

Hun Sen has made, and continues to make quite a big deal out of the Pheu Thai election victory. On Saturday, he repeated his statement that the bad old days - "the nightmare era - was over. By that, as everyone knows, he meant that the Democrat Party was defeated at the polls. Hun Sen has a continuing and troubling disrespect and personal dislike of ex-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and of former foreign minister Kasit Piromya. (To be fair, Mr Kasit's attacks on Hun Sen during the 2008 yellow shirt period were equally, unfairly personal.)

Spicy tale of real foes and real friends

19/09/2011
Saritdet Marukatat
Bangkok Post
COMMENTARY

Kaeng lieng - a spicy-mixed, vegetable soup - is like a bitter pill for Suthep Thaugsuban, especially the one cooked for him in Ta Kamao.

The allegations over "secret talks" - one of them with kaeng lieng on the negotiating table at Hun Sen's home in Kandal province - were unveiled by the Cambodian strongman last week. Mr Suthep, back then the deputy prime minister under the Democrat Party-led government, tried to convince the host to move ahead the plan to bring out oil and gas reserves from the overlapped maritime boundary in the Gulf of Thailand, according to Hun Sen. It was not just one but three alleged attempts by the Democrat veteran politician in different places in addition to his bastion not far from Phnom Penh.

Details unveiled by the Cambodian leader are convincing. He said Mr Suthep came to see him about an oil bloc in the gulf and wanted the Cambodian leader to take over as lead negotiator on the issue from his deputy.Mr Suthep admitted that he had meetings with Hun Sen but denied that they were "secret". Ex-foreign minister Kasit Piromya preferred calling them "informal" not "secret" as Hun Sen was trying to boast and obviously discredit the Democrats.

Suthep reaffirms no secret talks with Cambodia

Monday, 05 September 2011
MCOT

BANGKOK, Sept 3 - Former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Saturday denied Cambodia's claims over alleged secret talks on overlapping oil and gas-rich maritime territories during the tenure of Abhisit Vejjajiva administration, while challenging the Thai government to speed up investigation of the matter.

Mr Suthep made remarks following a statement by the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority (CNPA) claiming that secret meetings between him and his Cambodian counterpart Sok An were held several times in various locations such as Cambodia’s Kandal province, China’s Kunming city in Yunnan, and Hong Kong, to deal with overlapping claims to the offshore area believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also assigned Foreign Minister Surapong Towichakchaikul to look into the case.

Suthep reaffirms no secret talks with Cambodia

Suthep Thaugsuban

BANGKOK, Sept 3 (MCOT online news) - Former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Saturday denied Cambodia's claims over alleged secret talks on overlapping oil and gas-rich maritime territories during the tenure of Abhisit Vejjajiva administration, while challenging the Thai government to speed up investigation of the matter.

Mr Suthep made remarks following a statement by the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority (CNPA) claiming that secret meetings between him and his Cambodian counterpart Sok An were held several times in various locations such as Cambodia’s Kandal province, China’s Kunming city in Yunnan, and Hong Kong, to deal with overlapping claims to the offshore area believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also assigned Foreign Minister Surapong Towichakchaikul to look into the case.

Mr Suthep, former deputy premier who supervised national security, reasserted that it was Cambodian deputy prime minister Sok An who contacted him for unofficial meetings, before an official meeting on maritime demarcation would be officially held.

Suthep urged to clarify secret deal with Cambodia

Saturday, 03 September 2011
By NNT
Pattaya Mail

BANGKOK, 2 September 2011 – Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul has asked former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to clarify the secret deal on Thai-Cambodian maritime zone following a recent announcement of the Cambodian National Petroleum Authority.

Mr Surapong told the press that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has already tasked him with investigating the alleged secret deal of the past government. He hence encouraged Mr Suthep to clarify this issue with the public for the benefits of the nation.

The minister stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not know what the deputy prime minister has discussed with the Cambodian side on the Thai-Cambodian maritime zone, and he will hence send a letter to Cambodia to ask for clarification.

[Thai] Military should not be allowed to interfere in [Thai] foreign policy

April 13, 2011
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

The latest statement from Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in relation to posting Indonesian observers at the disputed area near Preah Vihear Temple clearly reflects that it is the [Thai] military, not the [Thai] government, that controls Thailand's foreign policy toward Cambodia.

On his weekly talk show, Abhisit said his government had taken the same stance as the military - to not allow Indonesian observers to be stationed on the 4.6 square kilometres area near the temple, which Thailand believes comes under its sovereignty.

Nobody should have a problem if the area in question really belongs to Thailand. If the area is truly under Thai sovereignty, then it has the right to decide who does or does not enter it. In reality though, this piece of land is being clamed by both Thailand and Cambodia, and it sits at the core of the conflict between both neighbours.

The Thai military just raised the issue as a tactic to defer the observation. If the observers are kept out of the disputed area, they will have no knowledge of what really happens. This would make the Indonesia-proposed peace plan meaningless and allow the military to scrap it.

[Thai] Govt caught in JBC tangle

ANALYSIS: There's no light at the end of the tunnel.

31/03/2011
Nattaya Chetchotiros
Bangkok Post

It will be a long bumpy road for the government in dealing with issues surrounding the minutes of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission.

A major hurdle came yesterday when the Constitution Court threw out a petition seeking the court's ruling as to the status of the JBC minutes.

The court reasoned the petition submission was not in line with the regulations of petitioning the court to give a final ruling on a particular dispute under Sections 190 and 154 of the constitution.

The court also said more steps would have to be completed in parliament before a request for the court to give a final ruling on whether the JBC minutes could be lodged properly.

I'm no troublemaker, says Kasit

14/03/2011
Thanida Tansubhapol
Bangkok Post

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya insists he has not been a "troublemaker" for Thailand's neighbouring countries during his two-year tenure.

Mr Kasit spoke to four selected reporters yesterday before the censure debate which starts tomorrow and runs for four days.

Mr Kasit is one of 10 ministers to be grilled by the Puea Thai Party over a range of allegations.

The corner he will fight covers his handling of the Thai-Cambodian border disputes.

Foot-dragging puts Thailand at a disadvantage

March 8, 2011
The Nation
Editorial

The [Thai] government has been too slow to respond to initiatives to resolve the border dispute, leaving Cambodia with the moral high ground

Thailand needs to do a lot more work if it really wants to settle the border conflict with Cambodia over the area adjacent to the Preah Vihear Temple. The slow pace of implementation of Indonesia's proposed "peace plan" not only obstructs the peace process but also makes Thailand lose international credibility.

Like it or not, the boundary dispute between the neighbouring countries has already been internationalised, as Phnom Penh has managed to bring it to an urgent discussion at the United Nations Security Council and later at the informal meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers last month.

Cambodia went on the offensive, going to the two international forums with clear objectives to have a third party involved in the boundary conflict resolution. Thailand, under the leadership of Prime Minister AbhisitVejjajiva, has sat defensively without any clear plan.

Abhisit needs to move fast over Cambodia row

February 15, 2011
By Avudh Panananda
The Nation

Although the People's Alliance for Democracy is pushing for the military option, the yellow shirts have conceded that the fighting would not be an end in itself but a means to strengthen the Thai position for negotiations.

The best-laid plans to pave the way for early elections may go up in smoke if Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva fails to launch negotiations to resolve the dispute with Cambodia over the area surrounding Preah Vihear Temple.

This week and the next will be crucial to determine if the two countries have a reasonable chance of patching up their differences.

At the 35th meeting of the World Heritage Committee in July, Cambodia will be pushing for its Preah Vihear management plan, which also covers the area claimed by both countries.

Thailand cannot afford to be in the middle of an election campaign or be busy forming a coalition if it plans to defend what it believes is its territory.

Thailand can explain to the UNSC, but will it be able to justify its action?

[Thai] PM confident Thailand can explain to UN

Sun, Feb 13, 2011
The Nation/Asia News Network

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Sunday expressed confidence that Thailand would be able to explain to the United Nations about the border skirmishes with Cambodia.

He said Thailand would be able to explain to the International Community that Bangkok did not start the fight.

He said the Thai government would inform the UN that Phnom Penh also used the ancient Preah Vihear Temple as a base for launching attacks against Thai troops.

Are Thailand and Cambodia Heading to War?

A Cambodian soldier smokes a cigarette at the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on the border between Thailand and Cambodia February 9, 2011. (Damir Sagolj/Courtesy Reuters)

Wednesday, February 9, 2011
By Joshua Kurlantzick
Council on Foreign Relations (USA)

Over the past week, fighting between Thailand and Cambodia over the disputed Preah Vihear border temple has left its bloodiest toll in at least a decade. At least seven people have been killed in recent days and dozens of soldiers on both sides wounded, as the Thai and Cambodian militaries trade rifle and artillery fire.

Now, the fact that people are getting killed over a small amount of disputed territory and an (admittedly beautiful) temple does, to many observers, seem absurd. But the conflict also points to a bigger problem: Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva seems to have diminishing control over the Thai military, which is largely responsible for his place in office. On the Thai side, the conflict is being pushed by nationalists linked to the People’s Alliance for Democracy, but the military men taking action along the border often seem to be doing so either without informing Abhisit or informing his office well after the fact.

Surakiart calls for more forward-thinking approach

9/02/2011
Amornrat Mahitthirook and King-Oua Laohong
Bangkok Post

The [Thai] government also must ensure that the conflict is not taken to the United Nations or international tribunals such as the International Court of Justice.

Former foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai is calling on the government to increase its diplomatic efforts to end the border conflict with Cambodia and to be more forward-thinking in its political strategies.

Mr Surakiart said yesterday the government must try to understand Cambodia's plan and anticipate its moves in order to take pre-emptive action.

"We need to have a firm grasp of what Cambodia thinks and how they will move so we can plan every possible course of action," he said.

The former minister in the Thaksin government said the government must send envoys to explain its position to the leaders of other Asean states and the UN Security Council. It also should try to restart bilateral peace talks with Cambodia.

Thai authorities are handling the border dispute on two fronts, he said.

Abhisit sends protest note to UN

[Thai] PM counters Hun Sen's allegations of 'invasion'

8/02/2011
Bangkok Post

Thailand has countered a diplomatic initiative by Cambodia by sending a protest note to the United Nations Security Council accusing Phnom Penh of provoking the border conflict that led to clashes between their troops over the past four days.

The protest note signed by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva followed a request from Cambodia to the UNSC on Sunday asking the world organisation to bring an end to Thailand's "invasion of Cambodia".

Thai and Cambodian soldiers have exchanged artillery fire across the border near Preah Vihear temple every day since Friday, with each accusing the other of starting the hostilities.

The fourth day of cross-border shelling erupted yesterday morning after fierce fighting on Sunday night, despite a ceasefire being agreed to by field commanders from the two countries on Saturday.

At least five people - three Cambodians and two Thais - have been confirmed killed and scores of others wounded in the skirmishes which caused damage to the world heritage-listed Preah Vihear temple.

Internal rifts weaken [Abishit's] govt in dealing with Cambodia

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva peruses a document before attending a meeting at Government House in Bangkok on Jan 31. The PAD have hinted they might contemplate taking over Govt House once again, if their demands are not met.

3/02/2011
Nattaya Chetchotiros
Bangkok Post

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court's verdict on Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon has upset the People's Alliance for Democracy, which has vowed to step up its "fight for justice" for the two Thais. Which means the political temperature will rise against the government.

The Cambodian court on Tuesday sentenced Mr Veera to eight years behind bars and his secretary to six years in jail for espionage. The verdict has heated up the ongoing PAD rally on Ratchadamnoen Avenue.

Since the yellow shirts returned to Ratchadamnoen on Jan 25, they have claimed a victory to cheer up protesters. For PAD leaders, even though the government has not given in to their demands, the cabinet and the army have reportedly already shown some signs which have somewhat satisfied them. These included the statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Monday to reiterate that the disputed 4.6 square kilometre area was on Thai soil, and the pressure by the Second Army Region to force the Cambodian government to tear down tablets denouncing "Thailand's invasion" of the area.

Abishit talks about peaceful resolution while raising the specter of war?

PM: War the last option

31/01/2011
Bangkok Post

The government will persist in pursuing peaceful means to settle border disputes with Cambodia, with war the very last option, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Monday.

"I do believe that both the Thai and Cambodian governments will adhere to peaceful ways to resolve our border conflicts.

"My intention of using peaceful approaches to settle the border dispute does not mean that the government is afraid of a war with Cambodia.

"It is also does not mean that the government is the underdog in dealings with our neighbor, as claimed by the yellow-shirt people group.

"The use of force will be the last option and will be resorted to only when there is no other solution left," Mr Abhisit said.

Thailand escalates its demand: Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak must be removed in addition to the Khmer flag

Thailand asserts Cambodia will remove flag from Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda

BANGKOK, Jan 31 (MCOT online news) -- Thailand has demanded that Cambodia remove both the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda and the Cambodian flag flying over the pagoda while reasserting that the pagoda is in Thai territory.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday issued a statement asserting that Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda built by Cambodia in 1998 is situated on Thai territory and demanded that the neighbouring country remove both the pagoda and the national flag flying over the pagoda.

The statement said it is a reiteration of the many protests Thailand has submitted regarding Cambodian activities at the pagoda and the surrounding area, all of which constitute violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Thailand.

Frenemies in the streets

Sat, Jan 29, 2011
The Nation/Asia News Network

Chaiwat Sinsuwong appears to be a lonely man lately, though his ambition is to bring together a million people - both yellow and red - to bring Abhisit Vejjajiva down.

Leading a splinter group of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), Chaiwat approached some of the red-shirt leaders in jail to sound them out on the idea of a yellow-red merger against the prime minister.

"Their response was positive," said Chaiwat, who was granted bail on Thursday after being detained in connection to the infamous 2008 Suvarnabhumi Airport seizure by the yellow shirts.

"We need an uprising of a million people of both colours, making it the biggest political rally in Thai history, which will put Abhisit away," he said.

Yellows may join up with reds to topple the [Thai] govt

January 29, 2011
By Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

Members of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) interviewed yesterday said they were willing to fight temporarily alongside the red shirts if that is what it takes to topple the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration and reclaim "lost territory" from Cambodia.

"I guess that can be done, because it's our country. We don't even use our [political] colour at this rally," said Boonthai Sirichoke, a PAD member from Samut Prakarn, adding that this government would definitely be removed if the red and yellow shirts joined forces. However, he said he believed the yellow shirts alone could topple the government.

Waen, a 47-year-old yellow-shirt from Chiang Mai, said she would not speculate but would follow instructions from PAD leaders, even if it meant joining forces with the red shirts. "We are just the mass, we don't have the right to question it."

[Thailand:] Two unlikely partners with the same adversary

27/01/2011
Bangkok Post

By chance or by fate, it now appears that the People's Alliance for Democracy and its arch rival, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, share the same common enemy - the Abhisit government. Will the two ever join forces, although separately and for different reasons, to get rid of the government?

by Veera Prateepchaikul

"We are the patriots who are protecting every inch of our Motherland and you are not!” This seems to be the message conveyed to the Abhisit government by the ultra-nationalist leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy or the yellow-shirt movement.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and a few others in the government have been unofficially branded “traitors” by the PAD leaders for allegedly selling out the disputed areas along the Thai-Cambodian border to Cambodia. They are planning to file a lawsuit against them to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Department for Political Office Holders. Also, a complaint against them will also be lodged with the National Counter-Corruption Commission.