Cambodia's promise to move troops doubted [-How about Thailand, can it be trusted?]

Democrats tell Yingluck to confirm withdrawal


16/07/2012
Bangkok Post

The Democrats have questioned the sincerity of Phnom Penh's withdrawal of troops from disputed borders, a decision which was confirmed on Friday.

Cambodia's move to replace its 485 soldiers with 350 border patrol and tourist police was confirmed by Defence Minister ACM Sukumpol Suwanatat after talks between Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Siem Reap on Friday.

But Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut called on Ms Yingluck to make sure Cambodian solders "really withdraw" from the 17.3 sq km area around Preah Vihear temple, marked as a demilitarised zone by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Democrats wrong from the start on Preah Vihear

June 16, 2011
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

It seems no political parties, other than Suwit Khunkitti's Social Action Party, want to follow Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's call last week for clear positions on the conflict with Cambodia over the Hindu Khmer temple of Preah Vihear. They don't want to take the political risk of losing the battle.

Abhisit and his Democrat Party have taken a clear - but wrong - stance on the issue from the beginning.

Indeed, the party has been mistaken on the issue since it was in opposition. In 2008, it tagged along with the nationalist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to exploit crude nationalism over Preah Vihear and attack the governments of Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat.

After Samak's government supported Cambodia in listing the temple as a World Heritage Site, the Democrats and the PAD accused Samak and his foreign minister Noppadon Pattama of losing Thai territory and the chance to reclaim Preah Vihear.

Abhisit made the accusation based on a misinterpretation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s 1962 ruling on the Preah Vihear case. The court ruled the temple "was situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia  ".

[Thailand] Democrat Party faces dissolution

12/04/2010
Bangkok Post

The Election Commission on Monday decided by a vote of 4-1 to recommend the dissolution of the ruling Democrat Party for receiving an illegal 258 million baht donation and the alleged misuse of a 29 million baht political development fund provided by the EC.

The decision was made at a special meeting of the EC chaired by Apichart Sukhagganond.

Mr Apichart, who is ex officio political party registrar, presented his recommendation to the commission for consideration.

Commissioner Sodsri Sattayatham revealed earlier the crucial meeting would be held today.

In December last year, the EC resolved that Mr Apichart, as the political party registrar, should decide whether to propose the dissolution of the Democrat Party to the Constitution Court.

Today's decision dealt a severe blow on the Democrat Party, whose leader and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is under unrelenting pressure from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) to immediately dissolve the House of Representatives and call a general election.

The red-shirts at the Ratchaprasong intersection roared with joy on hearing the news from leader Veera Musikhapong, who said he hoped the case would proceed quickly.

Thousands of UDD's red-shirts on April 5 converged on the EC headquarters on Chaeng Wattana road and accused the commission of the dragging out a decision in the case against the Democrat Party.

Bowing to the UDD's demand, the EC said it would come up with a decision by April 20.

The EC will forward its decision to the Office of the Attorney-General. The OAG then has 30 days to review the case.

If the OAG's decision contradicts the EC's ruling, a joint committee would be set up to consider the case. If the OAG agrees with the EC, it will refer the case to the Constitution Court for a final decision.

The Democrat Party, Thailand's oldest political party, was accused of receiving more than 258 million baht in illegal donations from TPI Polene for use in the 2005 general election and not declaring it. The party was also accused of misusing the Politics Development Fund worth 29 million baht.

The current and previous constitutions limit individual donations to 10 million baht a year.

TPI Polene, a cement firm, was alleged to have made donations totalling 258 million baht to the Democrats through Messiah Business and Creation Co, an advertising company.

The Democrat Party faces possible dissolution and its executives could be banned from politics for five years if the Constitution Court upholds the Election Commission's finding.

Abhisit to support Govt-led negotiations with Cambodia

October 28th, 2008
Source : National News Bureau, Public Relations Department of Thailand

The Democrat Party supports the current government’s framework for temporary negotiations initiative with Cambodia.

Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Democrat Party leader and also the Opposition party leader in the House of Parliament, revealed that he and his party are willing to support the government’s establishment of framework for the temporary negotiations with Cambodia in order to settle on the border disputes and to agree upon borderlines precisely dividing Thailand and Cambodia. Mr. Abhisit added that he has also prepared related information on the matters to suggest to the government before the negotiations will take place.

However, Mr. Abhisit asserted that the merit-making for nation, which will be held on December 1, is a well-considerate event while suggesting that in order to tackle the current border problems with Cambodia, the government must understand the issue in greater details.

In addition, Mr. Abhisit urged the Election Committee to handle the red-card case of his party’s deputy leader, Mr. Witoon Namboot, in accordance with the nation’s legal and justice system without any political involvement.

It's a shame to see Thai Democrats interfering and meddling in Cambodia's internal Preah Vihear affair

Thai Democrats to petition World Heritage Committee

BANGKOK, June 29 (TNA) -- Thailand's opposition Democrat Party will directly petition all 21 country members of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Monday stating its opposition to a Cambodian government plan to unilaterally apply for registration of the historic Preah Vihear temple, the party spokesman said Sunday.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has listed 851 sites in 141 countries as World Heritage sites.

Ong-art Klampaiboon said the party would submit its petition through the UNESCO office here stating the party's stance and the opinions of the Thai people towards the Cambodian plan to apply to list the temple as a World Heritage site.

E-mail messages will also be sent directly to each of the 21 members of the committee urging it to decide the matter based on 'righteousness'.

The Thai opposition party's objection to the planned listing of the ancient temple comes as Phnom Penh plans to apply for the registration of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site during the UNESCO World Heritage Committee annual meeting beginning July 2 in Quebec.

Emphasising that what the Democrat Party is doing is for the benefit of Thailand and not for its own political gain, Mr. Ong-art said his party stood by five points regarding the temple, which sits on Cambodian soil but can only be easily accessed from Thailand.

These five points include its position that the no-confidence debate against the Thai government, which ended Friday, was is no way meant to affect the warm relations between the two countries, that the Thai government should not carry out any activities which could diminish the country's sovereignty and that it should not have approved Cambodia's new map on the temple in exchange for gains for any one person.

Some Thai press reports have said that former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006, plans to invest in a resort-style entertainment complex on the Cambodian island of Koh Kong and that somehow the Preah Vihear understanding was a deal to benefit Mr. Thaksin.

Both Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama have said what the government had done was for the country's interests as well as maintaining bilateral relations of the two neighbouring countries.

Samak blames 'lawyer' in Democrat for the loss Preah Vihear 45 years ago

Chuan Leekpai, former Thai PM

Sun, June 22, 2008
The Nation (Thailand)

Prime Minster Samak Sundaravej Sunday denounced protests over Preah Vihear registration as a world heritage site as "unreasonable', saying Thailand lost the ancient Hindu temple 45 years ago.

Without mentioning name, Samak apparently blamed former Democrat Party leader Chaun Leekpai for the loss after the 'lawyer' from the Democrat Party made a mistake in a battle in the World Court 45 years ago.

Speaking during his Talk Samak Style on NBT Channel, Samak said the People's Alliance for Democracy played up the Preah Vihear issue unreasonably and out of proportion to mislead the public to think that Thailand will now lost its territory because of the world heritage registration.

"[Democrats] should ask their aged senior in the party what happened," Samak said, apparently referring to Chuan.

"Our lawyer agreed to accept their map so the World Court ruled that we lost the Preah Vihear.

On Saturday, the People Power Party said Chuan, who represented Thailand as the lawyer lost the court case, causing Thailand to lose Preah Vihear to Cambodia.

Samak said Thailand lost the Hindu temple to Cambodia by the ruling of World Court 45 years ago.

He said Cambodia has been hoisting flag over Preah Vihear for 45 years with nobody opposing it but the PAD just campaigned about it now.

He said Cambodia was now registering its Preah Vihear over its land as a world heritage site and had nothing to do with Thailand.

"But I don't know what on earth [the PAD] is campaigning about regarding to Preah Vihear. We have not lost any land because of the registration of the world heritage site because we lost the temple 45 years ago," Samak said.

"They are handling the affair of their own country," Samak added.

He said the Thai military had affirmed that the registration of Preah Vihear as a world heritage site would not affect Thailand's territory but nobody listened.

He said the PAD managed to play up the issue so much that "a woman who makes her living by making expensive clothes announced that she would give up her life for the issue".

Samak said the PAD also linked the issue to the golf playing between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra also the issues were not related.

Democrat calls for FM to reveal Cambodia's new map

Sun, June 15, 2008
The Nation (Thailand)

The Democrat party called on the Foreign Ministry on Sunday to reveal the new border lines for Preah Vihear Temple proposed by Cambodia in its bid to list the temple as a Unesco World Heritage site.

Deputy party leader Alongkorn Polabutr expressed concern the ministry appeared to be withholding details of the Cambodian proposal.

Phnom Penh's bid to make Preah Vihear Temple a protected site reached a stalemate last year when Bangkok objected to a map attached to the proposal.

Bangkok said it included overlapping zones between both countries and they had to be demarcated first.

Several rounds of negotiations followed and Cambodia agreed to propose a new map which Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said did not include the overlapping areas.

He doubted the government would compromise on the issue that could benefit former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was reportedly keen about investing in Koh Kong province in Cambodia.

Alongkorn said the ministry should make the issue transparent by showing details of the map to the public before Unesco considers the Cambodian proposal between July 2 and 10.

The Cabinet is scheduled to endorse Cambodia's new map next week, enabling Phnom Penh to submit its proposal to Unesco.

Thailand and Cambodia claimed ownership of the temple until the World Court ruled in favour of Cambodia in 1962.

Alongkorn said yesterday was the 46th anniversary of that ruling.

It should be noted the World Court ruled that only the temple, not the areas around it, belonged to Cambodia, he said.

A seminar on the controversy was conducted in Si Sa Ket province yesterday, where many panellists expressed doubts on the Thai government's expected admission of Cambodia's new map.

Last week, some residents in Si Sa Ket called for the removal of Cambodian communities from overlapping areas.

Thailand's Democrat party urged Thai gov't not to support Preah Vihear's listing as a World Heritage Site - When will the Thai stop their hegemony?

Preah Vihear was built by Khmer people
and it belongs to Khmer people!

Wat a controversy!

Monday, 09 June 2008
By Post Reporters Bangkok Post

The Democrat party has urged the government not to rush to support Cambodia's attempt to register Preah Vihear temple as a new World Heritage Site.

Democrat deputy leader Alongkorn Ponlaboot said on Sunday that the government should think carefully before backing the Cambodian effort.

He was speaking after Phnom Penh redrew the boundaries of the ancient temple site to convince the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) that it now deserved to be put on the World Heritage list. The old map, which was opposed by Thailand, included overlapping areas.

Mr Alongkorn said that by supporting Cambodia on the issue, Thailand would automatically lose its right to reclaim sovereignty over Preah Vihear in the future.

On June 15, 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled the ancient temple belonged to Cambodia. Mr Alongkorn said the ruling was unfair and not based on law.

The Treaty of Versailles stipulated later that the demarcation of the disputed areas was questionable, and that was why Thailand wrote to the United Nations secretary-general on July 3, 1962, saying it reserves the right to reclaim the ancient temple in the future, he said.

"The present government has no right to either sell or reclaim Thai sovereignty in this case. Next week, I hope, the National Security Council (NSC) and cabinet will review the issue. Otherwise, it would be a shame and tantamount to betraying the nation and selling Thai sovereignty to another country," Mr Alongkorn said.

He suspects vested interests are behind the move to support Cambodia on the listing.

Mr Alongkorn suggested the government oppose the listing and ask Unesco's World Heritage Committee to drop the issue from the agenda of its July 2-10 meeting in Quebec.

The new Cambodian map will be discussed at the NSC's weekly meeting today. If the NSC approves the map, cabinet is likely to endorse the map tomorrow.