Deputy PM confident Cambodia visit could reduce border tension

BANGKOK, June 27 (TNA) -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said early Saturday that his visit to Cambodia and talks with Prime Minister Hun Sen could lead to a strengthening of relations between the two neighbouring countries and lead to a reduction in the military stand-off at the border, particularly at the historic Preah Vihear temple.

Speaking to journalists only hours before he left for a one-day visit to Cambodia, Mr. Suthep said he was optimistic that his visit and talks with Mr. Hun Sen could help strengthen cooperation and as the two countries are neighbours, there is no reason for a tense atmosphere.

Asked if he believed he could lead Mr. Hun Sen to better understand the Thai perspective on the Preah Vihear temple issue, Mr. Suthep said he would explain to the Cambodian prime minister that the “Thai government is sincere in promoting (improved) bilateral relations.”

There is no need to argue about Preah Vihear temple because the World Court had ruled that it belongs to Cambodia while the Thai government’s objection to the World Heritage Committee on listing the temple as a World Heritage Site is another issue, Mr. Suthep said.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia while the United Nations for Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s World Heritage Committee granted Cambodia’s application for Preah Vihear temple to be designated a World Heritage Site in July 2008.

Clashes between soldiers of the two countries have occurred periodically as both sides claim some of the territory surrounding the temple.

[Prawit Wongsuwon:] Troop pullout 'not on agenda'

27/06/2009
By WASSANA NANUAM
Bangkok Post

The Defence Ministry will not discuss the withdrawal of Thai troops from the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple ruins during the Thai delegation's visit to Phnom Penh today.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon made clear the stance yesterday in response to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's condition that he would discuss the temple issue only if it concerned the withdrawal of Thai soldiers.

The Thai delegation of about 15 officials, including Gen Prawit and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, is set to arrive in Phnom Penh today for talks after Thailand protested against the Unesco's World Heritage Committee's decision to register the Hindu temple ruins unilaterally on behalf of Cambodia last year.

Mr Suthep said yesterday he would go to Cambodia as planned on a mission to clarify with Hun Sen Thailand's objections to the listing of the Preah Vihear temple ruins.

He said his trip was aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.

Gen Prawit told reporters that Thai troops had to remain in the 4.6-square-kilometre area around Preah Vihear because it belonged to Thailand and both nations had reached an agreement that the land dispute would be handled by the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC).

About 3,000 Thai soldiers entered the disputed area on July 15 last year after Unesco listed the Preah Vihear temple on behalf of Cambodia.

"The Thai cabinet considers Unesco as a peace-oriented organisation. The rules and regulations that govern the World Heritage listing must be recognised by both countries.

"We believe that Unesco failed to observe the rules and regulations, so we must protest against Unesco and demand it respond," Gen Prawit said.

In response to reports of Cambodia's military reinforcements in the area, army chief Gen Anupong Paojinda said yesterday that Thailand would not start any violent actions and would not be reckless.

Lt Gen Wibulsak Neepal, commander of the 2nd Army, said Cambodia had deployed a number of soldiers and heavy weaponry and its forces in the area were nearly double those of Thailand's.

However, he confirmed that Thai soldiers there were prepared for any eventuality.

Border tense ahead of Suthep visit

June 27, 2009
The Nation

Thai Second Army Region commander Lt-General Wiboonsak Neeparn said the situation along the border was very tense, with the two sides faced off against each other.

"Policy-makers in the two countries should quickly find a solution to the problem," he said.

If the situation escalates further, that could mean more violence, the commander said.

Wiboonsak said Thai troops in the area would not initiate a clash but would be prepared to retaliate if Cambodia opened fire first.

However, Thai Army chief General Anupong Paochinda said the situation was unlikely to result in a skirmish as long as commanders on both sides maintained contact with each other.

Tensions have been mounting along the border near the Hindu temple since last week, when the Thai government decided to maintain its objection to Preah Vihear's World Heritage inscription.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ordered Natural Resource and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti to submit a complaint to the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee in Spain this week and asked Deputy PM Suthep to clear the stance with Cambodia.

Abhisit yesterday said in Beijing, where he was on an official visit, that Thailand's objection to the Preah Vihear inscription had nothing to do with Cambodia, but rather with the World Heritage Committee.

Pongpol Adireksarn, a former chairman of Thailand's own World Heritage Committee, said Thai complaints were useless, because they had come too late and would not be placed on the agenda.

The latest tensions stem from the government tying the inscription to the boundary issue, even though the two matters have no connection and linking them upsets Cambodia, he said.

Suthep yesterday insisted he would visit Cambodia today as planned to mend the rift, despite Hun Sen saying Preah Vihear would be off the table.

He said Hun Sen had to make such a statement to protect Cambodia's interests and that it was an internal affair.

"No problem. I won't intervene in Cambodia's internal affairs, but rather will go to make friends and reduce border tensions," Suthep told reporters.

The two neighbours can cooperate constructively for mutual benefit, he said.

"I won't discuss any issue that could lead to further disputes," Suthep added.

Hun Sen on Thursday said he would not discuss a Thai idea for joint nomination of the Hindu temple, but rather only a withdrawal of Thai troops from Cambodian territory.

Suthep said the Army could handle the situation on the ground at the border.

The ongoing dispute at the border near Preah Vihear has sparked two border skirmishes - one last October and the other in April - leaving seven soldiers on both sides dead.

Thai official to avoid temple issue in Cambodia

Friday, June 26, 2009

BANGKOK (AFP) — Thailand's deputy prime minister said he would steer clear of a dispute over an ancient temple on the Cambodian border when he meets the neighbouring country's leader this weekend.

Troops from both sides have built up on the frontier in recent days near the the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, where seven soldiers have died in clashes since tensions flared last year.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said he is sending his deputy, Suthep Thaugsuban, to Phnom Penh on Saturday to explain Thailand's decision to ask world heritage body UNESCO to reconsider listing the temple.

But following a warning by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that Thailand must respect his country's sovereignty, Suthep said he would now avoid the issue.

"I will not discuss any topic that could trigger conflict," Suthep told reporters in Bangkok.

"But do not jump to conclusions that my mission will not achieve anything. I am confident that bilateral talks will enhance a better understanding that Thailand will treat its neighbours cordially," he said.

Hun Sen vowed on Thursday to take a hard stance on the dispute over the temple, the ownership of which was awarded to Cambodia by the World Court in 1962, sparking decades of tensions.

Unrest flared in July 2008 after UNESCO granted world heritage status to the ancient Khmer temple with its crumbling stone staircases and elegant carvings.

Thai army chief General Anupong Paojinda said on Friday that troops from both sides wanted to avoid clashes and were regularly speaking to each other to ease tensions.

"We will not be the first to start fighting," Anupong told reporters.

"The local commander told me the situation is still calm. Forces from both countries deployed at the temple are constantly in contact with each other and there is no indication that it could lead to confrontation," he said.

The Thai government will protest the listing of Preah Vihear at a UNESCO meeting which is continuing in Seville, Spain until June 30.

Suthep unlikely to achieve border breakthrough with Hun Sen: THAI MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?

June 26, 2009
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban will likely face a tough stance from Cambodian Premier Hun Sen when they meet in Phnom Penh tomorrow to discuss the Preah Vihear Temple.

Suthep was assigned by Prime Minsiter Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is currently on an official visit to China, to discuss the sensitive issue with the Cambodian leader, who yesterday seemed to reject any comprehensive peace talks with Thailand.

Tensions have escalated at the Thai-Cambodian border, with Thailand's Second Army Area commander Lt General Wiboonsak Neeparn having rotated troops at Preah Vihear so that they are fresh and ready for a possible attack from Cambodia.

Cambodia has already boosted its presence in the border area.

Wiboonsak said his forces would exercise utmost restraint to prevent a military clash with Cambodia for the safety of Thai residents in the area.

Reflecting his tough position, Hun Sen was quoted by China's official Xinhua news agency as saying: "I will not listen to him [Suthep] about a clarification of jointly developing and jointly registering Preah Vihear Temple.

"But if he talks about the withdrawal of Thai troops from our soil, we can talk and welcome him."

"This is my message for him before he decides to visit Cambodia," Hun Sen said during a graduation ceremony at a university in Phnom Penh.

The controversial Hindu Khmer temple came under the spotlight again after the Thai Cabinet decided last week to maintain its objection to the site's World Heritage status, even though it was listed last July.

Bangkok's move has disappointed Phnom Penh, whose plan for safeguarding and developing the site has been delayed.

Cambodia also cannot convene a meeting of the International Coordination Committee scheduled since February, as Thailand has been reluctant to accept an invitation to sit on the panel.

Suthep is due to visit Phnom Penh tomorrow to explain the Thai position that it has no gripe with Cambodia, but has a problem with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

Abhisit said on Wednesday that his government's move was aimed at preventing Unesco and other countries from getting involved in the areas claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia.

Natural Resource and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti attended the 33rd meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Spain this week to reaffirm the Thai stance, but Cambodian media reported that the committee had dismissed the Thai complaint.

Thailand also expressed its desire to participate in a joint nomination of Preah Vihear, but Hun Sen said the temple belongs to Cambodia, according to the 1962 verdict of the International Court of Justice.

Thailand is not a co-owner of that property, he said, asserting that the Preah Vihear Temple is now humanity's heritage.

The territorial dispute over Preah Vihear began when the World Heritage Committee decided last July to have the popular tourist attraction inscribed on its list of World Heritage sites, causing discontent among Thai nationalists and the then-opposition Democrat Party.

The dispute ignited two border skirmishes in October and April, which left at least four soldiers on both sides dead.

Cambodia wants all troops withdrawn from the overlapping areas.

The National Park of Phra Viharn, which is the gateway to Preah Vihear from the Thai side, has been closed for security reasons since the April clash.

A plan to reopen it next month has been suspended for an indefinite period, said Kasemsan Jinnawaso, director-general of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.

Suthep to visit Hun Sen as good friends ... and he'll drag along Thailand's Defense minister?!?!

"If he [Mr Suthep] wishes to discuss Thailand withdrawing its troops from our soil, then we will talk about that." HUN SEN, CAMBODIAN PRIME MINISTER

Suthep says temple not up for talks

Visit is private matter among two friends

26/06/2009
BANGKOK POST and AGENCIES

"We need to change the way we teach history. Our approach has bred hatred and hostility towards our neighbours" Dr Prawase Wasi, Thai social critic

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban is insisting his visit to Phnom Penh on Saturday will go ahead despite Cambodian leader Hun Sen's refusal to discuss the Preah Vihear temple.

Mr Suthep, who will be accompanied by Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, said the trip would be in a private capacity with neither the listing of the temple nor the dispute about overlapping territory on the agenda.

Mr Suthep was originally assigned by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to clarify Thailand has taken a fresh stance against the listing of the temple by the World Heritage Committee (WHC), which was approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

"There will be no talks on the disputed territories or the Preah Vihear temple or anything of that sort. I am going there because we are good friends," Mr Suthep said, referring to Hun Sen.

The deputy prime minister will hold talks with Hun Sen at the Cambodian prime minister's house near Phnom Penh.

Gen Prawit echoed Mr Suthep's comments, saying Preah Vihear would not be discussed. He said he had no message for Cambodia.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti has been in Seville, Spain, voicing Thailand's opposition to Cambodia's unilateral listing of the temple with the WHC and Unesco.

The Thai decision to raise the Preah Vihear issue has upset the Cambodian prime minister, although Mr Abhisit said the Thai campaign was to express its opposition only to the WHC and Unesco without mentioning Cambodia.

Thailand and Cambodia remain locked in a dispute over the overlapping territory near the temple.

"It is not necessary for us to discuss this plan because this is a Thai suggestion and has nothing to do with Cambodia," Hun Sen said yesterday in a speech at a university graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh.

"But if he [Mr Suthep] wishes to discuss Thailand withdrawing its troops from our soil, then we will talk about that. This is my message for him before he decides to visit Cambodia."

Hun Sen said Cambodia would hold national celebrations on July 7 to mark the first anniversary of the Unesco ruling.

"I will call on monks throughout the country to beat drums to celebrate this occasion. There will be a concert in Phnom Penh and similar celebrations in the provinces."

Social critic Prawase Wasi yesterday voiced support for the government's objection to Cambodia's listing of the temple, but warned the conflict might escalate and asked the government to use diplomacy to avert violent confrontation.

He also suggested that nationalism be dropped from the Education Ministry's history curriculum.

"We need to change the way we teach history. Our approach has bred hatred and hostility towards our neighbours," Dr Prawase said.

Tension at the border near Preah Vihear has risen after the Thai decision to raise the temple issue again. There have been reports of troop reinforcements near the temple and the disputed area.

Commander of the 2nd Army Wibulsak Neepal said the army was monitoring the Cambodian troop movements closely and would arrange Thai security forces to match them.

"Our troops are ready to respond to any situation," Lt Gen Wibulsak said. "However I have instructed soldiers to exercise utmost patience to any sign of provocation."

Boonmee Buaton, chairman of the Sao Thong Chai Tambon Administrative Organisation in the area, said Thai and Cambodian troops were a few metres away in the stand-off but they were still on friendly terms.

"But villagers are advised not to go into the forests along the border. They could step on landmines or be arrested by Cambodian troops," he said.

Due to the border tension, the Khao Phra Viharn National Park will remain closed to tourists indefinitely, said Kasemsan Jinnawaso, chief of the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.

The park's closure will continue for safety reasons as Thai and Cambodian troops are beefing up security, he said.

Cambodian PM warns Thailand in border temple row

Thu, Jun 25, 2009
AFP

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen warned Thailand Thursday it must respect his country's sovereignty ahead of talks over the two countries' disputed border near an ancient temple.

Thai deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban is scheduled to meet with Hun Sen Saturday at his home near Cambodian capital Phnom Penh to discuss the troop standoff in the disputed border zone.

The Cambodian leader said in a speech that he would take a hard stance on the dispute, which has killed seven soldiers near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple since tensions flared last year.

"We will not accept an explanation from Suthep over the Preah Vihear issue. I will welcome only an explanation about withdrawal of Thai soldiers out of sovereign Cambodian territory," Hun Sen said.

"I have a full obligation to defend independent and sovereign territory," he added.

Relations between the neighbours worsened last week when Bangkok announced it would ask world heritage body UNESCO to reconsider its decision to list Preah Vihear in Cambodia, since the surrounding land is still in dispute.

This week, however, UNESCO refused to hear Thailand's complaint as its world heritage committee met in Seville, Spain, according to Cambodian government officials.

Cambodia and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the land around the

Preah Vihear temple for decades, but tensions spilled over into violence last July when the temple was granted UN World Heritage status.

Although the World Court ruled in 1962 that it belonged to Cambodia, the most accessible entrance to the ancient Khmer temple with its crumbling stone staircases and elegant carvings is in northeastern Thailand.

Soldiers from Cambodia and Thailand continue to patrol the area, with the last gunbattle in the temple area in April leaving three people dead.

The border between the two countries has never been fully demarcated, in part because it is littered with landmines left over from decades of war in Cambodia.

PM Abhisit: Deputy PM Suthep to meet Cambodian PM Hun Sen next week

BANGKOK, June 20 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Saturday that he will send Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban to Cambodia next week, in an attempt to clarify Thailand's objection to the Preah Vihear listing to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The Thai reaction came as the Khmer prime minister expressed "deep regret" after Thailand announced intentions to ask the World Heritage Committee meeting in Seville, Spain, next week to review its decision last year to register Cambodia’s unilateral listing of the Hindu temple.

Mr. Hun Sen said that the issue was not raised when Mr. Abhisit met him in Phnom Penh last week.

The Thai premier however believed that after Mr. Suthep meets Hun Sen in Cambodia, his Cambodian counterpart will understand Thailand's stance.

“I haven't talked to him (Premier Hun Sen) yet, nor the Cambodian ambassador in Thailand, but I believe that this will not worsen the situation and we will discuss to clarify the matter, the Thai premier said.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep will also discuss the Thai-Cambodian demarcation of overlapping sea areas during his visit in Phnom Penh.