Thailand bring 10 military attachés to visit border

Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

A report from Preah Vihear temple indicated on 28 July, military attachés from 10 countries based in Thailand traveled to the Cambodian-Thai border near Preah Vihear temple in order to observe the situation there. The Rasmei Kampuchea reported that these military attachés walked about 70 meters from the paved road in Thailand when they were stopped by Thai black-clad soldiers who forced them to pull back. The report indicated that the probable goal of these military attachés was to observe the actual situation at Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak pagoda where the troops are facing off. If these attachés crossed the stream and enter the pagoda, they would have seen the aggression of the Thai troops in Cambodia. In the evening of 28 July, one Thai TV station reported that the military attachés from 10 countries went to visit the Cambodian-Thai border in Preah Vihear temple, but they did not see any troop confrontation.

What does Bangkok has to hide from the UN Security Council?

Major powers agree to support Thai bilateral stance

SINGAPORE, July 23 (TNA) - Three permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and its two non-permanent members agreed Wednesday with Thailand that talks on the Thai-Cambodian border dispute should be held and settled through bilateral means, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Sahas Banditkul said Wednesday.

Mr. Sahas, representing Thailand at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers meeting in Singapore, said he had met with Russian, American and Chinese foreign ministers on the sidelines of the ASEAN ministerial meeting and briefed them on the dispute over the 4.6-square-kilometre area adjacent to the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

The 11th century mountaintop Khmer religious edifice designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site earlier this month.

Russia, the US and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council and are dialogue partners of ASEAN.

Mr. Sahas said he had also discussed the issue with Indonesia and Vietnam, both non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, and both agreed with Thailand that the problem should be solved through talks between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

Bangkok has proposed that the dispute should be settled by means of bilateral talks but Phnom Penh wants the Security Council to hold an emergency meeting over the issue on Monday over Thailand's objections.

Thai-Cambodian diplomacy 'has yet to be exhausted' [-Thailand starts its PR campaign ahead of the UNSC meeting]

Wed, July 23, 2008
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

Singapore - At least three of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council agrees it is premature at this time for the body to discuss the row between Thailand and Cambodia over Preah Vihear Temple, Deputy Prime Minister Sahas Banditkul said Wednesday.

Sahas, who led the Thai delegation to an Asean meeting, discussed the issue on Wednesday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Asean Ministerial Meeting.

Sahas met and discussed issues with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, on Tuesday after Phnom Penh asked the Security Council to convene a special session on the standoff.

"Three permanent members of the Security Council whom I have met with here said Cambodia had been in too much of a hurry in putting the issue before the UN. Thailand and Cambodia can resolve the problem bilaterally," Sahas told reporters.

Don Pramudwinai, Thailand's permanent representative to the UN, said the world body would include Cambodia's request in an emergency session today.

A formal discussion of the row may take place next week, he said.

"We expected this to happen, because it is in line with UN regulations. Now we are discussing the matter," Don said in a telephone call from New York.

The Security Council has 15 members. Its five permanent members are China, France, US, Russia and the UK. The other 10 are chosen on a rotational basis.

Vietnam and Indonesia are presently among the nonpermanent members.

Sahas also discussed the issue with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, whose country currently chairs the Security Council, and Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda.

Both agreed the row should not be put to the Security Council as long as bilateral mechanisms were available for resolving it, he said.

"I gave all of the ministers I've met here the facts of the matter, and I did not blame Cambodia for its move," he said. "Due to time limitations, I also handed them fact sheets about the situation and our position on it."

In Bangkok, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Thailand's diplomatic position would take a defensive stance until Cambodia finished its general election next Sunday.

"Let Cambodia carry on. We're not being harmed. I hope they'll calm down after the election. I will talk [to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen] later," he said.