Hun Sen Won’t Talk Temple With Thai Deputy

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
25 June 2009

Prime Minister Hun Sen said Thursday the only words he would want to exchange with a visiting Thai official would be news that Thailand is withdrawing troops from positions along the border.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva rankled Phnom Penh earlier this week by suggesting Cambodia and Thailand share the Unesco World Heritage status of Preah Vihear temple, which is at the center of a military standoff along the northern border.

Thai officials hope to meet with Unesco authorities in Spain this week, where they could request Preah Vihear temple be placed under joint maintenance. Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban is then scheduled to make an unofficial visit to Cambodia on Saturday to meet with Hun Sen.

In a speech to graduates in Phnom Penh Thursday, Hun Sen he was prepared to welcome Suthep and the defense minister, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, but “not to raise the Preah Vihear temple, to explain to me.”

“I cannot accept any explanation…except if that explanation stresses that [Thailand] will pull Thai invasion forces out of Cambodia,” Hun Sen said.

Clashes on disputed territory near the temple have killed at least three Cambodian and three Thai soldiers in the past year.

“Cambodia does not use military force to solve bilateral problems,” Hun Sen said Thursday. “The military option is the last option in the implementation of the right to self-defense of territory.”

Demonstrations in Thailand in July 2008 coincided with Preah Vihear’s World Heritage listing, protests that deeply unsettled Thailand and led to the ouster of its democratically elected government.

Abhisit’s government should now take the same stance as the previous government, Hun Sen said.

Officials open to talks ahead of Thai visit

Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Written by VONG SOKHENG AND THET SAMBATH
The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodian officials said Tuesday they had yet to receive official notification of a visit this weekend by Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, reportedly to hold talks with Hun Sen on the growing dispute over Preah Vihear temple's World Heritage listing, according to Thai media.

"We haven't received an official letter from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs informing us about the visit," Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said, adding that Cambodia welcomed any negotiations on the issue.

The Bangkok Post reported Tuesday that Suthep would arrive Saturday to clarify Thailand's position on the temple, following Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's announcement last week that Bangkok would challenge the temple's World Heritage status at this week's UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Seville, Spain.

Abhisit's announcement prompted Hun Sen to accuse Thailand of "infringing" on Cambodia's sovereignty.

Union leader Rong Chhun, a vocal critic of Thailand's moves on the frontier, said Tuesday that he has no plan to protest against Suthep's proposed visit, but said the machinations of the Thai government showed it has no real intention of resolving the border standoff with Cambodia.

"I think that Thailand's activity has clearly infringed on Cambodia's sovereignty, and the visit of the Thai government is just to lobby and prolong the conflict, in order to bide their time and take our land," he said.

Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said Tuesday that the 33rd Session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, which opened Monday, was yet to address Thai complaints about the inscription of Preah Vihear.

The temple was listed in July 2008, prompting an escalation of tensions between Cambodia and Thailand and a troop buildup along the border. Thailand has long sought the joint listing of the site.

Cambodian border troops remain on alert, reporting that Thailand brought up tanks, artillery and infantry to Phnom Trop, a few kilometres from Preah Vihear.

An RCAF officer stationed at the temple, who declined to be named, said the Thai action had forced Cambodia to bolster its own forces at the front.

"We held a tank exercise [Monday] at the hillside near the temple," he said. "It is just an exercise. We want to show Thailand that we have everything ready for battle. If they dare to come into Cambodian territory, we will resist them."

According to Thai media reports, Thai army chief General Anupong Paojinda made a visit to the Thai-Cambodia border near Preah Vihear temple Tuesday morning, following reports Cambodia had sent re-inforcements of troops, 130mm artillery pieces and T-54 tanks to the border.

Yim Phim, commander of Brigade 8, said he did not meet Anupong, but added that the Cambodians, in pulling up additional armed forces, were only reacting to Thai moves.

Kamrob Palawatwichai, first secretary of the Thai Embassy, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Thai officials visit Cambodia Saturday to clarify stance on Preah Vihear issue

BANGKOK, June 23 (TNA) - Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Tuesday said he will visit Cambodia Saturday on a mission to clarify Thailand's objection to the listing of the Preah Vihear temple ruins as a World Heritage Site to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) agreed to register Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site of Cambodia in July, 2008.

Mr. Suthep said he and Defence Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan would visit Cambodia to meet Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to stave off any misunderstanding on the Preah Vihear issue between the two neighbouring countries.

He said Thailand and Cambodia had shared common stance to avoid border conflicts and the issue at the moment was not between Thailand and Cambodia, but Thailand and UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit said earlier the government would ask UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to review last year's decision to register Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site when the meets this week in Spain.

He would also propose that the temple be registered jointly as a World Heritage Site by Thailand and Cambodia, not as a unilateral action by Cambodia.

Mr. Suthep said he hoped that after meeting, Mr. Hun Sen would better understand Thailand's stance.

In 1962 the International Court of Justice ruled that Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia, but the most accessible entrance begins at the foot of a mountain in Thailand, and both sides claim overlapping portions of the surrounding territory.

Armed clashes between the two military forces have since then occurred periodically near the temple, especially in a 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area.

Suthep to meet Hun Sen this weekend

23/06/2009
BangkokPost.com

Deputy Prime Minister for security affairs Suthep Thaugsuban said on Tuesday he will on Saturday visit Cambodia to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and explain the case Thailand is making to Unesco about the registration of the Preah Vihear ancient temple as a World Heritage site by Cambodia.

Mr Suthep said the petition case is a matter between the Thai government and Unesco, and had nothing to do with Cambodia, which owns the temple.

If all conflict ws cleared up, the situation between the two neighboring countries would improve, he said.

He believed beither Thailand nor Cambodia wanted any problem with each other.

[Thailand] Deputy PM gets Hun Sen task

21/06/2009
By PRADIT RUANGDIT and MANOP THIP-OSOD
Bangkok Post

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban is to explain Thailand's stance against the unilateral listing of the Preah Vihear temple to Cambodian Premier Hun Sen.

Yesterday's decision by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva comes after Hun Sen showed regret over the Thai move to reiterate its opposition to the decision by the World Heritage Committee (WHC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) last year on approving the Cambodian application for listing.

Mr Abhisit said he and the Cambodian prime minister had not been in contact since the Thai government decided to make its move on the issue in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Mr Abhisit did not raise the issue in talks with Hun Sen during his visit to Phnom Penh on June 12.

The premier was optimistic that the issue would not lead to a new military conflict between the two countries as efforts were being made to improve bilateral understanding.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti left for Spain on Thursday leading Thai officials to talks with the WHC and Unesco in Seville, where the committee will start its meeting tomorrow.

He is scheduled to meet with committee chairwoman Maria Jesus San Segundo of Spain prior to its annual meeting, according to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.

Mr Suwit would raise Thailand's objection to the unilateral listing of the ancient Hindu temple, he added.

The key message to deliver to the committee would be that Unesco's approval of the listing is not fair to Thailand, said Mr Kasit.

"This is a matter between Thailand and the World Heritage Committee and Unesco, not between Thailand and Cambodia," he said, echoing Mr Suthep's statement made on Friday.

Preah Vihear, which is called Phra Viharn in Thai, was granted to Cambodia in a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling. Thailand and Cambodia claim the land around the temple area.

In the Seville meeting which runs until June 30, the committee will consider requests for the inscription of new sites on Unesco's World Heritage List and examine the state of conservation of sites already on the list.

Thailand is an observer to the meeting of the 21-member WHC.