Opinion: Bangkok Post needs reality check

Tuo Jia Sarit Dhanarajata-the Siam royal narcissistic stooge and dictator

2 October 2009
Opinion by Kok Sap
Originally posted at http://khamerlogue.wordpress.com

In view of Siam quarrel over Cambodia rights to speak for and defend its property, apparently Bangkok Post misspoke and mischaracterized Khmer nation. Two wrongs can’t be right.

I agree with Bangkok Post and find Hun Sen words are intolerable and unnecessary in dealing with so called modern Siam country. As human endowed with rights to express true feeling, Hun Sen appears to speak his mind in full graphic. But Hun Sen wasn’t highly educated and rooted out from noble clans.

But if we look at the episode from the cause and effect law, Hun Sen isn’t too far from being proper in giving fair warning to those who wanted to harm his home country. Bangkok Post should put itself in Hun Sen shoes to understand how he felt.

Siam royal stooges started border row with premeditated intent to cause burden and anguish for Cambodia. Make it worst, with no authorization Royal Siam Air Force had capriciously and repeatedly flown its aircrafts over Cambodia air space. All say in volume how intense and contemptuous of Siam toward Cambodia. So somebody in Cambodia has to openly give the benefits of the doubt of Siam belligerences and war calling.

Probably it’s a good idea for the ASEAN Summit next month to initiate discussion on Siam violations of neighbors to prevent war. Obviously Siam is the instigator for the whole thing. Thus it would be advantageous for ASEAN 2015 aim to solidify market under singular vision, singular identity in one community under Siam thumb. If not careful, Preah Vihear could be a spark of new Indochina war.

Before it’s broken it must be fixed, so ASEAN can’t sit on hands longer. In due to inadvertent effect, then it should bring in UN Permanent Security Council to help.

The world knows by now that Cambodia has had enough of war. Contrary Siam would not want to enter Cambodia to its imperialist war. Definitely it can’t afford two wars while its southern provinces inhabitants are fighting for independence and home rule. That has not escaped human rights observers and sympathizers attention. Plus the Communist China will not stand idle to watch its investments in Cambodia, its old and loyal ally, gone to waste in Siam unrealistic conquest. So the matter will be taken straight away to UN Permanent Security Council by China anyway.

From records, Siam has been the bully and trespasser toward Cambodia for the past 771 years. Much Cambodia territory and people were annexed to Siam control via manipulation, holding Khmer royal families hostage, or plainly wars. Recently PM Abhisit Avijjajiva wasn’t helpful in the process in launching his private website “I love Thailand” to erroneously insinuate Cambodia had taken Siam land several instances. That’s typical of most foreigner descents born into Siam confused mentality and twisted history. After much criticism and uproars, the website was off.

Subsequently Cambodia was not well received in world view because its Viet Cong trained Khmer Rouge killing fields’ atrocity in 1975-1979. In reality Cambodia has been in defensive and the receiving end throughout history.

The irony of Hun Sen harsh words should not blind Bangkok Post from knowing that Siam started the plots when UNESCO admitted Khmer Preah Vihear into world heritage site in 2008. Cambodia effort to register Preah Vihear with UNESCO was made known to Siam all along.

The real problem is not just UNESCO acceptance of Preah Vihear without listing Siam in partnership but the unilateral Siam drawn map post 1904-1907 Siam–French drawn map. Siam knew then that the colonized Khmer demanding the return all of its provinces along north and west of Dangrek –Cardamom range. But both colonialists french and siam ignored and forced new map down Cambodia throat until to date.

After the narcissistic Sarit Dhanarajata and Thanom Kattikachorn invaded and illegally took control of Preah Vihear, in 1962 the not so modern Cambodia took matter to the International Court of Justice in Hague. The ICJ had ruled that Preah Vihear temple located on and the surrounded site per 1904-1907 map belongs to Cambodia rightly. Also the Court ordered Siam to return all stolen artifacts from Preah Vihear to the proper rightful owner. None was complied and respected.

In retaliation dictator Sarit banned Khmer inhabitants, living under Siam control, from carrying on their tradition and heritage. Khmer language was outlawed and forbidden from teaching to children. Countless old Khmer scriptures and books found in pagodas were confiscated and burned down as an ultimate warning.

Again, in October 1991, Siam has signed Paris Accord to recognize and respect Cambodia territorial integrity and sovereignty. But when Cambodia is ready to demarcate its boundary line, Siam threw fits and tantrum over Preah Vihear admittance to world heritage registry.

It’s ludicrous of Bangkok Post to paint Siam as innocent virgin and victim in matter. The former colonists like France and England knew Siam history and its active intent to conquer Cambodia.

Now under royal backing, Siam current government seems to suffer memory lapse. As long as Siam royal stooge, PAD, will continue to twist politics to pressure the 2006 Royal Junta accomplice, Democrats Party and Abhisit government, the inevitable is expected.

The long range plan is Siam wanting Cambodia land with its concerted diplomacy in ASEAN circle and using US back door to enter UN permanent Security Council.

Cambodia is well aware of Siam twisted history and ill will toward Cambodia dating back to Phlek, Khuong and Sarit eras. Also during the refugee era 1975-1993, many international witnesses have learned first hand how Siam mistreated Khmers from both sides of its present border with Cambodia.

In 1979, Thai Task Force Unit 80 dumped 45,000-49,000 Khmers off Preah Vihear steep cliff to die from landmines, shots, dehydration and starvation. Those who ran back into Siam controlled territory were shot to death at point blank. The number of casualty was unreported and hidden from world press to date. The notorious Siam Task Force Unit 80 terrorized, robbed, raped, murdered and tortured countless refugees in camps. The sad part is many Thai Task Force members are Khmer descents.

Since 1907, in reality Cambodia avoided war with Siam at all costs even it had to lose provinces along Dangrek – Cardamom range. Now Cambodia wants Siam to respect 1904-1907 map and 1991 Paris Peace Accord. Ridiculously Bangkok Post exaggerated the 2003 incident led to destruction of Siam embassy and businesses because of the confused subject of Siam kingdom belittled Cambodia and Angkor Wat.

Nonetheless, Cambodia had not held public protest against Siam on going violations yet. Also note all the Siam property and business damages during 2003 protest were compensated in full. As Kasit Pyromya, current Foreign Minister and active PAD instigator, has called Hun Sen, the thug, who saw to fix problems to sooth Siam investors feeling.

For the so claimed modern Siam, yet it had not compensated Khmer property damages and live losses which caused by the Royal thugs, PAD. Days ago, Siam black clad soldiers arrested, shot and burned one of the 16 Khmer trespassers alive to death.

Other word, if Bangkok Post speaks of Hun Sen retaliation in harsh words that were just words. Yet his reaction was merely a reflection of the Bangkok ruling house hypocrisy. Shamefully Bangkok Post failed to print out Siam hypocritical ruler behavior. One can ask if the ruler lives the hypocrisy how could the subjects not to follow.

Borderline between Siam and Cambodia will never be resolved without the international commission step in to monitor the entire episode. The ASEAN will face the impasse of its 2015 aim unless Siam is fully reformed its present regime to restore 1932 democracy and world confidence. All 16 manipulative military coups to subjugate people into worshipping same hypocrite and inhumane ruler are quite enough. After all, is it Siam modern in broad definition?

Cambodia knows Siam too well and its words from the past or present government can not be trusted. Siam will always try to blame others for its own responsibilities. So the best bet for Bangkok Post to do is to call out the singular vision guy who divides and destroys Siam and its neighbor harmony. Then its condemnation of Hun Sen belligerence shall be heard and lauded. But as long as Bangkok Post dares not to condemn the sole culprit of Siam on going turmoil, then Hun Sen will not do otherwise.

Apparently Bangkok Post journalistic candor and modern civility seems missing from its conscience. Other than that Siam must stop playing victim over its spilled milk.

PM Abhisit: Thai-Cambodian border situation 'normal'

BANGKOK, Oct 1 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Thursday that he believes Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's comment regarding Thai-Cambodian border disputes was aimed to impact Cambodia’s domestic political audience and that the overall situation along the Thai-Cambodian border is normal and bilateral relations are going well.

International media--Associated Press (AP) and Agence France-Presse (AFP)--Monday quoted Mr Hun Sen as telling Cambodian officials that anyone from Thailand illegally intruding into Cambodian territory but claimed by both countries would be shot.

The Cambodian leader also said that if Thai officials negotiating the border demarcation present Thai maps during bilateral talks, Cambodian officials “should tear them up or walk out.’

Answering questions in Parliament Thursday, Mr Abhisit said he believed that Mr Hun Sen's remarks were aimed for his domestic benefit.

The situation at the border is normal, the military personnel of both countries are stationed as usual, particularly around the disputed area that they both claim, he said.

Mr Abhisit added that the remarks simply were Mr Hun Sen's style, considered normal, as it had happened many times.

However, he said, Thailand remains ready to protect the kingdom’s sovereignty, but any steps taken will be carried out carefully to avoid conflict and to protect Thailand's interests.

The government also affirmed the use of peaceful mean to solve the border disputes and the disputes between Thailand and Cambodia were not come from Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya.

Members of the Opposition Puea Thai Party always charged Mr Kasit of being unfit to serve in government for his support for the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) which seized Bangkok’s two airports late last year, as well as for his denouncing Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen regarding a disputed temple on the border.

Mr Abhisit said after Mr Kasit assumed his post, he had visited Cambodia on several occasions without problems. Bilateral relations between the two neighbours remain positive, as some bilateral agreements were reached recently.

Moreover, the Cambodian premier also affirmed in past meetings that he would not let the border disputes obstruct expanded cooperation, the Thai premier said.

Mr Abhisit said he believed that the border disputes flared up when Noppadon Pattama was Minister of Foreign Affairs and signed a joint communique with Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sok An in June 2008 to support the Khmer application to list the 11th century temple as a World Heritage site.

When Mr Abhisit assumed office last December, he said his government must resolve the border dispute.

Tensions between the neighbouring countries flared after the United Nations cultural body UNESCO approved Cambodia's bid in July last year to list the 11th century temple as a world heritage site, while the question of sovereignty over the 4.6 square kilometres of surrounding land has never been clearly resolved, angering some Thais who continue to claim Thailand’s ownership of the site.

[Thailand] NACC ruling a relief, but Hun Sen happy to be a headache

September 30, 2009
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

For Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, relief after the anti-graft body's decision over the Preah Vihear case yesterday - he does not need to dump a number of his cabinet members.

But he is still left with the uphill task of mending sour relations with Cambodia.

Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kajornprasart, Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Phataraprasit and Information and Technology Minister Ranongruk Suwunchwee, who joined Samak Sundaravej's cabinet last year, escaped the National Anti-Corruption Commission's verdict.

The commission found legal grounds to file a lawsuit against only Samak and his foreign minister Noppadon Pattama for their support for Cambodia's proposal to list the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site.

Samak's cabinet allowed Noppadon to sign a joint communique with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An to support the World Heritage inscription in 2008, without approval from Parliament, in accordance with Article 190 of the Constitution.

In Thailand, legal judgement is always subject to the political situation. As politics have changed, many people who once sat in the same boat with Samak and Noppadon are off the hook since they have chosen to sit in another boat with the current government.

From the anti-graft body's perspective, the cabinet members did not need to share responsibility for the decision since they obtained information only from Noppadon, as did civil servants who handled the case. It seemed to the commission Noppadon did it alone, but Samak had to take responsibility as he was the top boss. It sounded strange other concerned officials knew nothing - but that's the anti-graft body's judgement.

As the ministers are freed, there is no legal question whether they should retain their positions in the cabinet following the anti-graft commission's decision. The Prime Minister is not obliged to make any decision on the case.

However, Abhisit has other parallel problems to fix, since the sour relations with Cambodia remain. They are likely to get more complicated as Prime Minister Hun Sen makes tough comments from Phnom Penh over the dispute at Preah Vihear.

He made a series of threats to the Thai government, all in only one speech on Monday. He threatened to skip the Asean summit in Cha-Am/Hua Hin in late October if the controversial Preah Vihear issue was not over. He would raise the issue before Asean and the United Nations Security Council unless it had been solved. He vowed to use force against any Thai people, military or civilian, who invaded the disputed area adjacent to the Hindu temple.

Usually, strongman Hun Sen does not make blank threats. He does what he says. Cambodia has already forwarded the issue of possible conflict over the area to the UN Security Council and tried to raise it during an Asean ministerial meeting in Singapore last year.

Two border skirmishes in October last year and April this year, which killed seven soldiers on both sides, have already proved Hun Sen's war weapon is not a toy gun.

The Asean summit is nothing to him. With or without Hun Sen, the summit would make no difference - but Prime Minister Abhisit really needs Hun Sen's presence since he is the chair and Thailand the host. Hun Sen might come to the summit eventually but it really hurts the Asean spirit when the chair is in conflict with a member.

Prime Minister Abhisit's advisers might whisper to him that Hun Sen made a nonsense statement for domestic consumption to gain political support. It might be true but it is nonsense.

They might advise him to ignore Hun Sen's reaction after the government's close associate, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrated in Si Sa Ket's Ban Phumsarol on September 19, demanding removal of the Cambodian community from the disputed area. Hun Sen would have no story if the government's ally had not created it for him.

Bangkok people may not get hurt by Hun Sen's verbal attacks, but they really harm the country and border areas communities.

Thailand, as a country, is not able to mend sour relations with Cambodia since the atmosphere for good cooperation is spoiled regularly by actions and reactions in this country.

People in the border area near Preah Vihear, already losing their income from trade and tourism at the temple, live in fear as they don't know when Hun Sen's rockets and mortars might land in their villages. Cambodia's word might be true or not, but such uncertainty creates fear for local residents. And living in fear is no fun at all.

Hun Sen's temple comments 'retaliation': Abhisit

Hun Sen's temple comments 'retaliation', says PM

September 30, 2009
The Nation

"This is the nature of small countries when dealing with a bigger partner," Thai Government deputy secretary-general Panitan Wattanayagorn comparing Cambodia's relations with Thailand to that of Venezuela to the United States

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday hit out at his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Sen, for saying Thai trespassers would be shot if they entered into an area along the common border disputed by the two countries.

"Whenever he gives interviews to the foreign media he always has this attitude where he wants to make headlines," Abhisit told reporters yesterday, one day after Hun Sen made the challenging statement.

Hun Sen said on Monday he had ordered his troops to shoot anyone from neighbouring Thailand who crossed onto land around the 11th century Preah Vihear temple.

Hun Sen's comments came about a week after hundreds of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) rallied near the temple area, demanding Thai troops take back the 4.6 square kilometre overlapping claimed areas near the ancient temple.

This heavily militarised area was the site of clashes that have killed seven soldiers since tensions flared last year. Abhisit suspected Hun Sen's statement was to "retaliate" for the September 19 protest.

However, the Thai prime minister maintained that Thailand is committed to finding a peaceful solution to the dispute through the joint border commission set up by the two countries.

Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the land around Preah Vihear for decades, but tensions spilled into violence last July when leaders on both sides politicised the dispute.

Abhisit confirmed the issue was raised with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the UN General Assembly in New York last week.

Government deputy secretary-general, Panitan Wattanayagorn, blamed Unesco for heightening the tension by granting the temple a World Heritage status at a time when political crisis was still boiling.

"This is the nature of small countries when dealing with a bigger partner," said Panitan, comparing Cambodia's relations with Thailand to that of Venezuela to the United States.

Abhisit urged the public not to let Hun Sen's statement get the better of them.

Army chief, General Anupong Paochinda declined to comment, saying border issues should be the responsibility of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission for the Demarcation of Land Boundaries.

He said the two countries have agreed in principle that force would not be used. Thai troops on the border, however, said Cambodian troops were laying fresh landmines along the disputed areas and close to routes where they make regular patrols.