Written by Chan Veasna
Letter to the Editor of The Phnom Penh Post
Dear Editor,
Thailand is not keen on settling border disputes amicably and mutually, but on Thailand's terms. Thailand has consistently reiterated that it will only agree to negotiate based on maps unilaterally drawn by Thailand. In other words, Thailand will not settle the current border disputes with Cambodia if Cambodia does not allow Thailand to keep the territories it had claimed and occupied to date. So, is peace and a border solution possible between Cambodia and Thailand in the future?
Thailand's insistence on the use of maps drawn by itself, without Cambodia's agreement, is against the spirit of good neighbourly respect and contrary to international laws. Those maps have no legal basis under international laws.
If the 1904, 1907 maps are not used, it would be a betrayal of the treaties and a tragedy, as it will set a precedent that triggers future violations of subsequent [border] treaties.
So, if Thailand is insisting on using the maps unilaterally drawn by Thailand itself, will there ever be an agreement and peace at all?
If that is the case, is there any room for Cambodia to manoeuvre in the negotiations?
If Thailand does not conform to international laws by accepting the internationally-recognised treaties of 1904, 1907, the Khmer-Thai border disputes will become a quagmire and result in future deadly armed conflicts, similar to what already happened on October 15.
That would be a tragedy in Khmer-Thai relations. Not one single country, but both countries, will lose from these insignificant and petty disputes.
Chan Veasna
Cabramatta, NSW, Australia
Thailand's insistence on the use of maps drawn by itself, without Cambodia's agreement, is against the spirit of good neighbourly respect and contrary to international laws. Those maps have no legal basis under international laws.
If the 1904, 1907 maps are not used, it would be a betrayal of the treaties and a tragedy, as it will set a precedent that triggers future violations of subsequent [border] treaties.
So, if Thailand is insisting on using the maps unilaterally drawn by Thailand itself, will there ever be an agreement and peace at all?
If that is the case, is there any room for Cambodia to manoeuvre in the negotiations?
If Thailand does not conform to international laws by accepting the internationally-recognised treaties of 1904, 1907, the Khmer-Thai border disputes will become a quagmire and result in future deadly armed conflicts, similar to what already happened on October 15.
That would be a tragedy in Khmer-Thai relations. Not one single country, but both countries, will lose from these insignificant and petty disputes.
Chan Veasna
Cabramatta, NSW, Australia
21 comments:
Thailand has no intention to make any peaceful agreement with Cambodia so far - the attitude of this historic thief. War is unlikely unavoidable believe me.
TEK DEIY KHMER?PRORCHHEACHHUN KHMER,PHEASA KHMER,TOMNEAM TUMLOAP KHMER,SILACHAREK KHMER...ETC
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_khmer
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=-z1YKKMyLy4
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=xorptXAakNo
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Htc4PbnssOE
I say blow Thailand up and take back our land!! Fuck negotiating with these scums and let's wage war!!
Jayo Srok Khmer!!
Thailand is too greedy. They want more of Khmer lands so Khmer leaders must be firm, don't use Thai maps but use maps from 1904-1908 treaties. These maps are internationally recognised and legal under international laws.
I'm sick of this negotiation and a bunch of bullshit waste of time.
Hun SEN is stupid anyway!
Why would he let the one that violated our sovereignty can have all the choices.
HUN SEN is a low life scum!!
I can't believe a former KR and a 3rd grade can't achieve anything.
Beside let our lands being chop off a bit at a time by the greed neighbors.
Khmer PP,
I believe that, in no way Thai can take that land. Although Cambodia is on the winning side, any action without international support could jeopardize ourself. Only after negotiations can't break anything, military and court option is the last resort. Military action (if can't be avoided) should be after the boat racing. AND, more importantly we need to make sure that newly ordered weapons arrive before the war.
from BSk
How well do we know
our neighbours?
comment by Chandran Jeshurun
TRAVELLING around the region, it has
always been something of an enigma for me
that, other than a casual acknowledgment
of Singapore, possibly because it is such a
thorn in our side, most Malaysians have
very little knowledge or understanding of
the eight other neighbours and partners
in Asean. We do have a rare breed of
regional experts and Karim Raslan, for
example, would have been a most credible
and appropriate candidate to represent us
in the important Eminent Persons Group
to improve bilateral ties between us and
the so-called serumpun Indonesia. One is
equally amazed at the seeming inability
of the offi cial apparatus to encourage
greater interaction with the Thais who
were our staunch friends throughout the
Cold War era. There are, understandably,
insurmountable barriers from an
international legal standpoint for us to move
forward with the Philippines so long as it
hangs on to its now discredited Sabah claim
of more than four decades ago.
My primary interest in this subject of
how we have engaged the other Southeast
Asian countries was aroused by a recent
visit to Phnom Penh where I encountered
some unique new perspectives of this
somewhat erstwhile Asean friend. A mere
transitory encounter with Khmer society
which is glorifi ed for its great Angkorian
heritage and equally pitied for its more
recent violent past can be a traumatic
experience for an ill-prepared Malaysian. No
doubt, anyone who has visited the grandiose
remains of the ancient temples around
Siem Reap cannot but be overawed by such
historical achievements just as they would
be by the two other major landmarks of the
region, Pagan and Borobodur. But a Phnom
Penh of today, striving hard to portray itself
as a bright newly industrialising society is
faced with huge municipal management
problems. It is almost like what Petaling
Jaya went through during its evolution
from an experimental suburb of Kuala
Lumpur to its halcyon years of the 1980s.
Anyone who matters in the local political
set-up in the Cambodian capital city can
only speak about opening up the land for
urban redevelopment and its end products
leave much to be desired while generating a
disproportionate number of Lexus and other
luxury-branded vehicles that whiz around
its boulevards.
It was also a pleasant surprise to fi nd,
while venturing out of the capital, especially
on Route 5 towards the Thai border, a large
presence of Cham people and their Islamic
attributes, including very up-to-date mosque
complexes. Tunku Abdul Rahman, our fi rst
prime minister, initiated the effort to bring
over these fellow Muslims under Perkim
during the height of the Vietnam War
and this has resulted in a rather intimate
connection between Malaysia and the Cham
of Cambodia. The truth is that the Cham
people have been linked to us since ages
ago and much research is under way about
its origins and evolution. But, while one is
wont to ponder about the possibilities of
such ancient ties, it is also educational to be
aware of even earlier animosities among
the mainland states of Southeast Asia which
broke into the open during my visit when
the shooting erupted between Cambodian
and Thai armed forces on their common
border.
The truth is that centuries of warfare
and conquest among those states have left
rather indelible marks on their individual
self-perceptions that have, strangely
enough, trickled down into local mind-sets.
I was struck by the refrain of almost every
Cambodian that I bumped into that the
Thais were always “stealing” from them
– whether it was a 11th century Hindu
temple or border territories. Not very
different, I would think, from the growing
feeling among laymen in Malaysia that
Singapore was always waiting to pounce
on some oversight on our part that they
could turn to their material gain. Witness
the reactions in Johor, especially, over
their gaining sovereignty of Pedra Branca
at the International Court of Justice. One is
sometimes led to wonder if the ICJ is the
most ideal place to seek adjudication in a
bilateral dispute regarding territorial or
maritime claims as the Thai-Cambodian
tussle over Phra Vihear dates back to its
judgment in 1962 that the temple belonged
to Cambodia.
All this does suggest rather strongly
that we would do well as a people poised
between mainland and insular Southeast
Asia to take due notice of what transpires
among our neighbours and Asean partners
in their day-to-day dealings with each other.
When one fi gures in the rising economic
dynamism of Vietnam, on the one hand, and
the desperate stalemate in the Myanmar
situation in these calculations, it does raise
all sorts of questions about how observant
we should be of regional affairs. I, for
one, have the greatest reservations about
our nation stepping forward as an honest
broker in such convoluted issues as the
Thai-Cambodian border problem. As it
is, the well-intentioned and long-standing
commitment that we had made to bring
about a settlement of the Bangsa Moro
problem in the southern Philippines has just
been dumped into Manila’s legal dustbin.
Should we not be more circumspect in our
role as a regional good Samaritan?
Chandran Jeshurun used to teach history at
the University of Malaya and is a student
of regional politics. Comments: letters@
thesundaily.com.
http://203.115.192.117/Friday/fri_page26.html
Chandran Jeshurun, if you used to be a teacher please correct the history and name our temple the correct way it is "Preah Vihear" not Prah Vihear. Khmer name is very appreciated in this matter. PS, one more thing if you see any other news or historian going to say this please let them say it correct too. Hindu Temple or Prasat Preah Vihear was built by Khmer not those Hindu in India built it. During that time our Khmer king followed the belief of Hindu.
Thanks! Khmer USA,
strongman of Cambodia is strong only against his defendless people. When it comes to fighting against another country, he is a coward dog. None of Khmer rulers have ever thought about defending their country against these two neighboring aggrrors. If they have patriotism in their mind, perhaps Cambodia has been very well equipped with moderm weapon and fighting airplanes, just like Taiwan and Israel, right. But these rulers, including King Sihanouk, are the robbers or leeches of our society, sucking blood of our people until they become exhausted, yet these leeches never satisfy!!!
correct: defendless=defenseless
The thai is the most ridiculous people. They have no signs of any kind of character or " backbones ".
Very shamefull, shame on you thai. The thai is no better then the youn.
we as Khmer should sometimes ask our selves this question: why these two neighboring coutries threaten us again and again?
Cause you have a pretty for them! Not gay like Thai and Youn.
Khmer USA,
of course, the cambodian map is the only one that is legitimate, mutually conforming with the international law. the thai map is unilateral, of course, at the expense of cambodia given we had civil war, and the thai took full advantage of cambodia for that. isn't that enough said already?
"Thailand must use Cambodian maps"? hahaha, LOL, hahaha ...
It's the biggest mistake that HUN SEN govt allowed the THAI to occupy our land for this long .Khmer should repulse them the very day .Now , THAI think it's their land and what the khmer govt is going to do ?.
KILL ALL THAIS!!
That's really dumb for those who think Hun Sen will kill Thais. The decent should know that Hun Sen invest millions of $ with ex-ousted Thai Priminister to develop Koh Kong island into the most likeable resort in Cambodia. Hun Sen rather loose some land to Thailand but not his business; that's the nature of all Khmer rulers counting from Sihanouk to Hun Sen.
Correction:The title of the article "Thailand must use Cambodian maps" is not correct and it gives rise to more misunderstandings. The maps from 1904-1908 treaties are not Cambodian maps, they are maps drawn by the Franco-Siam Mixed Commission and mutually agreed by both Thailand and Cambodia. So they are not Cambodian maps but should be called Khmer and Thai maps because both signed to accept the maps.
Nope, there is no such thing as Thailand agreed to and Franco-Siam willingly.
Should be bilateral the same did with Vietnamese or at this era, countries in Southeast Asia should learn from EU. How they did it successfully? GLOBALIZATION....
WOOP!!!
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