Sean Pengse's reply to Soy Sopheap on Cambodia's border

Click to listen to Mr. Sean Pengse's reply to Soy Sopheap

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ជំរាបជូន លោក សយ សុភាព

ខ្ញុំបាទ​សៀង បេងសែ បានបំភ្លឺជាសាធារណៈហើយ

បើខ្ញុំចង់ទៅលេងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា មិនចាំបាច់ត្រូវពឹង លោកសយ សុភាព ឯងទេ គឺ ខ្ញុំទៅដោយខ្លួនឯង ពីព្រោៈ ប្រទេស កម្ពុជាជា ប្រទេសខ្ញុំដែរតើ?

ខ្ញុំអត់បាននិយាយថា លោក ហ៊ុន សែនក្បត់ជាតិទេ គឺ គណកម្មការ KCI

បាននិយាយថា លោក ហ៊ុន សែន ជាអ្នកក្បត់ជាតិព្រោៈកាត់ទឹកដីអោយទៅយួន ។

តើ លោក សយសុភាព ឯងហ៊ានសួរទៅ លោក ហ៊ុន សែន រឿងនេះពិតដែរ ឬទេ?

សូមអរគុណ

SRP pushes the gov’t to form a multi-party border commission

SRP MP Yim Sovann

31 January 2010
By Ky Soklim
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Yim Sovann, the SRP spokesman, pushed the government to form an independent border commission composed of all parties represented at the National Assembly (NA). Yim Sovann explained that this action would avoid any dispute between the opposition and the government when it comes to border issues with Vietnam.

Click here to listen to the audio program in Khmer

Yim Sovann, SRP MP and spokesman, declared that he is pushing the government led by the CPP to form an independent border commission that would include all parties represented at the NA. The declaration came at a time when the SRP and the ruling CPP party are disputing each other on territories in Svay Reing’s Chantrea district, at the location where Mr. Sam Rainsy uprooted border stakes at the end of 2009.

Last week, Sam Rainsy showed several border documents during a video conference which indicate that these border stakes were planted inside Cambodian territories. However, sVar Kim Hong, the co-chairman of the joint Cambodia-Vietnam border committee, retorted, saying that Sam Rainsy showed locations that are contrary to what is shown on paper and on the spot.

The border exchanges filled with complicated technical issues led Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, to push the government to form a new joint border commission with representatives coming from various political parties.

Yim Sovann added that the formation of this new border commission is done with the aim of seeking the truth, and to avoid any mix up between the government and the SRP.

In regards to Yim Sovann’s suggestion, sVar Kim Hong said today that the border commission is purely technical in nature, therefore, it cannot have political nature.

Last week, the Svay Rieng court sentenced opposition leader Sam Rainsy to a 2-year jail term after charging him with destruction of public properties and incitation to racial discrimination.

Expert Discusses Historic Temple Decision

By Neou Sarem, VOA Khmer
Washington
24 June 2009

Hundreds of soldiers on the Thai and Cambodian sides of the northern border are amassed near Preah Vihear temple, but in 1962, another kind of battle altogether was underway.

At that time, Thailand or Cambodia contested each other’s rights to the temple. But a battle in international court, fought by lawyers, not in the jungles by soldiers, brought Preah Vihear temple under Cambodian authority.

“When Cambodia won the lawsuit, Thailand recognized the verdict of the court, then Thailand sent to the UN a map that Thailand drew unilaterally,” said Sean Pengse, president of the Cambodian Border Committee, a group that advocates for border integrity.

Both sides now have different maps, leading to border contests, but Preah Vihear temple squarely belongs to Cambodia.

Sean Pengse said Cambodia should follow the 1962 example in its current border dispute with Thailand, which has been ongoing for nearly a year and has cost the lives of at least three Cambodian and three Thai soldiers.

Cambodian and Thai officials have said they can solve the problem bilaterally, but it has proven intractable in the face of political unrest in Thailand.

Preah Vihear: The border was already settled by The Hague International Court of Justice

CFC-CBC News July 7, 2007

Preah Vihear: The border was already settled by The Hague International Court of Justice

Near the end of June 2007, following Thailand’s reservations, UNESCO decided to “suspend” Cambodia’s request for the protection of the Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage site, and the UN body asked the two countries “to quickly resolve the issue of border demarcation at this location.”

In Bangkok, according to the news published on June 29, 2007, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the following statement: “In principle, Thailand totally agrees that the Preah Vihear Temple should be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, under the reservation that the differences on the site’s joint management and the problems of border demarcation are resolved first.” Immediately after this statement, Thailand sent its “black-clad uniformed” troops to prevent the access to the temple from the Thai side, and to close the border. These actions effectively created unease and excitation on Cambodia’s side.

The action taken by the Thai troops is nothing new when it comes to the Cambodian Preah Vihear Temple. Two years ago, in May 2005, “black-clad” Thai soldiers undertook the same action towards the temple. At the time, Thammarak Isarangura, the then Thai Minister of Defense, declared that “Thai troops would remain (there) to assure that there will not be any crossings into the territories in conflict, until the two countries complete their demarcation work.” In Phnom Penh, Thailand’s ambassador to Cambodia declared that Thailand intends to respect the decision of The Hague International Court of Justice which gave the ownership of the Preah Vihear Temple to Cambodia in 1962. “However, he added, the decision concerned the temple only and it did not precise the border delineation … That’s why this problem persists until nowadays.” On July 06, 2007, Viraphand Vacharathit, Thailand’s ambassador in Phnom Penh, implicitly placed the blame on Hun Sen’s government when he declared to the news media that “Cambodia knew very well that UNESCO would suspend this decision on Preah Vihear … because of the absence of the border demarcation line…”

In 2005, Hun Sen’s government promised to “resolve this problem of border delineation as soon as possible.” Now, Khieu Kanharith, the Minister of Information and spokesman of the government, vaguely said that “some small technical problems still remain to be resolved, regarding the new housing constructions, radio [broadcast] towers, irrigation canals, etc…” On the other hand, Va Kim Hong, the government minister in charge of border issues who is even more confused that his ministry of information colleague, let it be known that there would not be “any problem left for anyone, (because) the local authorities, the Preah Vihear provincial authorities, and our local people just have to present to us their problems, and we will resolve them together.”

The issue questioned by UNESCO involves the resolution of the so-called “white zone” located in front of Preah Vihear, a zone which Hun Sen’s government admitted its existence in the past few years to the great satisfaction of Thailand, this in spite of the historical stipulations of treaties recognized by both countries since 1907, and in spite of the irrevocable decision rendered by The Hague International Court of Justice in 1962 regarding this temple. In fact The Hague Court’s decision dated June 15, 1962, clearly indicated the prior existence of a border delineation between Thailand and Cambodia at this location, BEFORE the court issued its decision to hand the ownership of the temple to Cambodia (please read the Court decision and a copy of map attached). There was no “white zone” and there is nothing to “negotiate” again on the border demarcation in front of the Preah Vihear temple. All that remain are the reference to the maps retained by The Hague International Court of Justice, and the building of the corresponding border demarcation posts. Such operation would be completed within a few weeks.

However, we recall that the existence of these “white zones” was adopted by Hun Sen and his party, the PRPK-CPP (PRPK is the acronym for the People's Revolutionary Party of Kampuchea which was later rechristened to the Cambodian People Party or CPP), following their conclusions on illegal treaties and agreements with Hanoi in the 80s on Cambodia’s new borders. These illegal treaties and agreements, which are perfidiously put into application, have de facto rejected or made obsolete all or part of other international treaties of Cambodia with respect to her territorial integrity. For example, the agreement of the cession by the PRPK-CPP to Hanoi of the islands of Koh Tral and Koh Krachak Seh, and of the so-called “Historical Waters” (a maritime “white zone”) between Vietnam and the People’s Republic of Kampuchea in July 1982, has changed the delimitation of the maritime border between Cambodia and Vietnam, and subsequently, the one between Cambodia and Thailand, and it created “white zones” at sea between the two latter countries also. Obviously, these “white zones” later became conflict zones, zones where the law of jungle and instability prevail, and where the first victims are the defenseless and unprotected Cambodian population, this in spite of the confused and irresponsible assurances given by Hun Sen’s government (1).

The note by UNESCO on the imprecision of the border in front of the Preah Vihear Temple – an imprecision based on Thailand’s reservations which completely ignores the decision handed by the International Court of Justice on June 15, 1962 – is a dangerous precedent on the historical rights of Cambodia’s territorial integrity: it is the UNESCO, a UN institution, which accepts, at this location, the existence of a so-called “white zone” between the two countries. What will become of the other “white zones” which were recognized by the Hun Sen’s regime and by his party with Cambodia’s neighbors? By following this path, the entire Cambodia will soon become a “white zone” for Thailand and Vietnam – if it is not one now already – just as it was 200 years ago.

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(1) During the 1954 Geneva conference, a 1:100,000-scale map produced and kept in France (latest edition­) was submitted to the International Control Commission (which was later presided by India under the leadership of Mr. K.L. Bindra), as well as a smaller scale map for ease of use under the circumstance.

On the other hand, between 1968 and 1971, France provided help to Cambodia to establish a 1:200,000-scale geologic map with the participation of 8 French geologists and engineers, as well as 20 other Khmer engineers who performed the works and the research under the direction Mr. Sean Pengse.

At the time, there was no “white zone”.

Paris, July 9, 2007
The Cambodia’s Border Committee in France and Worldwide,

DY Kareth
Vice-President

Attachments:
Preah Vihear, ICJ Merits of the Case date 15 June 1962
Reference Map N°1
Reference Map N°2
Reference Map N°3
Reference Map N°4

For additional information:
Cambodia's Borders Committee : http://www.cfcambodge.org
Email : secretariat@cfcambodge.org