Thai govt disavows media tale

Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Cameron Wells and Cheang Sokha
The Phnom Penh Post

THAILAND on Tuesday denied allegations levelled by Cambodian officials that it has planted false media reports about antigovernment Red Shirts crossing into Cambodia.

The Press and Quick Reaction Unit at the Council of Ministers on Monday issued a statement denying a report in the Bangkok Post asserting that two Thais – Warisaya Boonsom and Kobchai Boonplod – had crossed the border into Cambodia on June 23, the day after the bombing of the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters in Bangkok.

Benjapol Rodsawas, identified as an immigration official in Sa Kaeo province, was quoted as confirming the crossing.

In addition to arguing that there was no evidence that the two fugitives were in Cambodia, the Council of Ministers statement called on the Thai government to end its “malicious campaign to fault Cambodia”, and accused it of “fanning acts of provocation against the Kingdom of Cambodia”.

The government issued two similar statements earlier this month after stories appeared in the Thai press alleging that Red Shirts who want to
topple Thailand’s government are hiding in Cambodia.

In response, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi on Tuesday said the Thai officials quoted in the stories had only been stating “fact”, and denied that the Thai government was attempting to link Cambodian officials to the Red Shirts.

“We have not accused Cambodia of being a safe haven or providing support for anyone. The entry of such individuals into Cambodia is simply a matter of people’s movements across [the] border,” he said.

“What the Thai authorities, including the Immigration Office, have said is only a statement of fact.”

But Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday said he did not believe the reports were true.
“The Bangkok Post quoted immigration police at the border, that the two suspects fled to Cambodia,” he said. “If the Thai immigration office knew that, why did they not make the arrests?”

He also said the names of the two fugitives cited in the report on Monday – Warisaya and Kobchai – had not appeared on registration lists at the border.

“The border always registers people when they cross the border, and the two names mentioned as suspects were not on that list,” he said. “They raise incorrect information. When Thailand has problems, they blame Cambodia.”

Tith Sothea, spokesman for the Press and Quick Reaction Unit, called on Thai officials to “make corrections”.

“If Thailand denies that they have accused Cambodia, then they should make corrections in all their media that have published such false information,” he said.

“I think this is a play from the Thai government officials, who speak out without taking responsibility for their comments.”

He added: “Cambodia once again asks Thailand and its media to stop publishing inaccurate information linked to Cambodia.”

The Nation: No need to inflame border dispute

Article appeared on 18 September 2008

Op-Ed by Kok Sap

The Nation bet its journalistic ethics and impartiality over PAD-Democrat Party shady politics. It shouldn’t have sniffed the tree the monkeys weren’t on.

For the real history of the so called border dispute, it was then Siam-Franco commission that imposed upon Cambodia from 1904-1907 on up that Dangrek Range was a divide. In spite of historical legitimacy and against its will, Cambodia had no say in it but its rulers recognized and accepted the so called Siamese- Franco border reality.

So the problem was not coming from Cambodia but Siam now turned Thailand that kept denying and questioning own past competence. Apparently Thailand is still mired by ethnocentrism and colonialism as the world begins to witness its internal Yala-Pattani deadly situation.

The 1962 International Court of Justice ruling said the Khmer Preah Vihear compound and nearby patch is belonged to Cambodia. In 1967, after arm clashes over Preah Vihear ownership, Dictator Thanat Khoman maneuvered agendas to create ASEAN bloc.

Up to now with chips on shoulders, Thailand seems to justify its position from habitual offence to croc tears-defense. To date it dangerously sends its armed forces to occupy Khmer old monuments along the so called border.

Thailand thinks it is Ok for it to assault others .Yet it is inappropriate for Cambodia to seek competent third party intervention to prevent arm clashes which most likely causing by Thailand politics.

The recurrence of faux pas politics to endanger neighbor in Thailand behalf is a violation of the ASEAN One vision, one community, one identity Charter.

The Nation said the dispute must be solved bilaterally in the spirit of good Asean neighborliness. I agree. But the neighborliness in ASEAN way seems constituting only ONE way.

The Nation said the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission is the proper mechanism to handle the issue. It might take time but it could end the border disputes peacefully and fairly. Well I like to say so and agree on this. Through observations in behavioral patterns, ASEAN is not quite ready to bake the cake without biting it.

To me if Thailand via ASEAN is so conscionable and moral, why it keeps crying foul and throwing tantrums at Cambodia for bringing unresolved problems to the competent International body for help.

Speaking of leadership and exemplary, Thailand is in much more of “you go” I follow “you” later posture all these times. May be it is time for ASEAN to mean what it says on papers. That is the only way to curb criticism.

The Nation is a respected voice in Thailand press but it shall never allow its just journalism and ethics to be exploited by the shady political ego trips.

In this inflamed matter, The Nation should be more sympathetic with the poorly and weakly Cambodia in comparison to too affluent and powerful Thailand.

So I say it is not Cambodia fault for not trusting ASEAN or Thailand in that matter. Cambodia is striving to do the right thing to protect its interests. Thus it should be credited in its attempt to erect the fence before the white elephant raiding its paddies, again.