Pichai Chuensuksawadi
Bangkok Post
The deteriorating situation along the Thai-Cambodian border is undermining confidence in ASEAN and affecting economic recovery, tourism and investment prospect in the region, said Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in his urgent message to the two ASEAN Member States now trading fires with casualties on both sides.
"I am deeply concerned about the serious situation on the border between Thailand and Cambodia. This violent conflict must be brought under control and return to negotiating table soonest," said the Dr. Surin.
The violent conflict started with a gun fire and artillery duels mid afternoon Friday 4 February near the long disputed site of an ancient Hindu Temple, Preah Vihear. While the International Court of Justice decided in favor of Cambodia in 1962, the areas adjacent to the Temple remain under dispute.
"I have been in touch with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cambodia, H.E. Hor Namhong, and the Foreign Minister of Thailand, H.E. Kasit Piromya, and I have appealed for calm, maximum restraint on both sides, and expressed my fervent desire to see both sides return to a negotiating table as soon as possible, said the ASEAN Secretary-General.
Dr Surin Pitsuwan also called both sides to allow ASEAN to help bring them to some form of a temporary truce and cool down the emotions and temper so that a higher interest of both peoples and that of ASEAN can be protected and enhanced.
"The situation has escalated into open conflict. And that will definitely affect our economic development, confidence in our region, and tourism and prospect for foreign investment, which have just been picking up in light of the world economic recovery," said Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan, who is a former Foreign Minister of Thailand.
Diplomatic sources reveal that Surin's wishes would be materialized soon as Indonesia, who is the current Chair of ASEAN, is also stepping up its diplomatic efforts to help the two sides arrive at a temporary solution so as to allow the bilateral mechanisms between them to accomplish their objectives of border demarcation and a general peace in the areas.
"I understand both sides now welcome some form of mediation by the ASEAN leadership," Surin said, without elaborating.
17 comments:
Bilateral talk between the two countries mean nothing to Cambodia. But Thai will get benefit.
How many time already that she is not Hindu temmple, she is beautiful Khmer Preah Vihear! Studpid BKK Post, well, yet again, all Thai are stuppppidd!
Hindu my ass...it's Khmer temple 100%...go read ICJ verdict again...temple and land belong to Khmer...nothing unclear...stupid Nanchao theives...pretend to be ignorant for their gain...
Keep the fighting going . That's what Hun Sen and his supporters want . They said they were willing to die for Samdech Decho Hun Sen , now let them die .
4:23 PM and 5:24 PM
you talk like you are smart. when did the preas vihear temple built and by whom ? and please define hindu .
No more coming to the table! No more nonsense talking! The Thai government used talking and bilateral mechanisms in the past just to drag on the conflict! The Cambodian government had been shadowing the Thai government every move in peaceful term but the Thai government keep sending in their army to invade and violate Cambodian territories? If the Thai government know any better and want genuine peace then stop saying one thing and then turn around do another thing such keep sending the thuggish Thai military to violate Cambodian sovereignty again and again otherwise there will war! It doesn't matter how many time the Thai government want to talk or use bilateral mechanisms!
The Thai government is behaving irresponsibly, belligerently, and disrespectfully of International law and Order! Cambodia will not stand by and has no other choice except to take up arm to protect Cambodian sovereignty from Thai naked aggression!
Beloved Cambodians in SISAKET and along the border,
This war is caused by Yellow shirt and Abhisit. Abhisit was installed by Yellow shirt. 2 Yellow shirts are in Cambodian Jail. Abhisit will do everything including war to obey Yellow shirt. Khmers overseas strongly condemn Abhisit administration and Yellow shirt.
We are sorry if our brothers and sisters in Sisaket and along the border were affected by this war of aggression committed by Yellow shirt and Abhisit team.
We ask all of our brothers nd sisters in Sisaket, Buriram, Surin and other place in Thailand to stand up to demend for immediat stop the dirty war and ask for compensation from Thai authority.
Khmer/american in USA
Abasit kills 2 birds with one stone. He knows that the Thai living in around the conflict area are red shirts and mostly of Khmer descent. He and the yellow shirts hate them both, Khmer and Thai.
Cambodia is in a difficult position to talk with the Thais. Here are the reasons:
1. Thais cannot be trusted. They are born and schooled how to lie.
2. The Thai internal politics is as stable as the seas during time of storm.
Sam rainsy Mosolini and Hitler, they are using the same ideosensory misconception, they are very goods in puting the bige futur and the past dream(vission) on people heard, Rainsy he see youn will swallow khmer in the future and he said youn will accomplished Hochiminch pland in the past, hitler he puted bige dream in millions of Germany heard to believe that white supremacy could controle the world, these idiosensory are the most dangereouse ideology on earth, the purpose is to make ordinarys people strong believe that it is real, in order using this tools or this peopel to die for what they believe in are reality, but it is just a futur picture, or past issue that don't have concret proved support this idea, if he continue to cheat people on futur or past concept it will bring chaos to the nation and no one will responsible for the killingfield again.Mike
Do not talk with them any more!
Go straight to UN and UNESCO.
This is a done deal when we gave them a chance of talking bilateral and they continue to trick us.
Consequences for them is a must!!!
Hun Sen Mosolini and Hitler, they are using the same ideosensory misconception, they are very goods in puting the bige futur and the past dream(vission) on people heard, Hun Sen never see youn will swallow khmer in the future and he knows youn will accomplished Hochiminch pland in the past, hitler he puted bige dream in millions of Germany heard to believe that white supremacy could controle the world, these idiosensory are the most dangereouse ideology on earth, the purpose is to make ordinarys people strong believe that it is real, in order using this tools or this peopel to die for what they believe in are reality, but it is just a futur picture, or past issue that don't have concret proved support this idea, if he continue to cheat people on futur or past concept it will bring chaos to the nation and no one will responsible for the killingfield again.And now Yourn is doing the same to Cambodia.Mike
Let be known that Siem's ultimate strategy is to share part of the land of 4.6 km2, which surrounds the Preah vihear Temple.
The Siem prefers to have the temple as well but Siem know that it is a long shot and more likely it's never going to get it. But the land around the temple will be likely to have a chance.
The Siem have various reasons to believe they can do it:
1. Cambodia is much weaker both economic and military.
2. The international Community will not pay much attention but if they did, they prefer to have peaceful negotiation and restraint and good faith agreement which are likely benefit to the Siem than Cambodia. Why it is because Cambodia will have to share the part of 4.6 km2 in order to have peaceful settlement.
3. Keeping the issue of the Temple alive and make Cambodia always on the standby vigilant will ensure that the Cambodia will down the road pay high price/drain the resources to keep the Temple under her control. Cambodia has so limited resources. The Khmer troops depend on the donation of the civilians. much less from the DOE and the government. In 1970 Khmer republic's armed forces had ration 1:2 with the Siem. today royal Cambodian armed forces has 1:10 ration against the Siem army.
The siem can out spend the khmer with 30:1.
4. The Siem is being able to swift the level of diplomatic and military crisis whenever they want. PAD and Red shirt are the group that have the same goal as the Siem government despite the rhetoric comment but they are against the Khmer.
So what The khmer can do:
Consistent is the norm and will give her benefit in the long term.
make The Siem pay heavy prices for what they want both military and diplomatically.
The Khmer can't beat the Siem with weapons and number, but as Hun Sen said small ants can make elephant hurt. The khmer generals so far should have plan to divide troops into smaller number and highly mobile units to counter the invasion and occupation. Resort to night time hit and constant attacks by any types of weapons can surely inflict pain to the more mighty force(example of afganistan). Let them sit uneasy/hotfire hell on 4.6km2. The Siem army can't go deep inside Cambodia to chase the small highly mobile unit. if they did so, it would mean disarter for them.
2. Can we share the land, if not be consistent with the rule of the above. and willing to pay the price as well. There always cost to be paid.
3. Make the world known and willing to ask for help outside Asean group. Friendly smile and comment but stand firm. Again consistent but flexible and back to assertion and consistent again.
Need to be clear what the end game we want.
Good luck and God protect you all Cambodian people
Instead foul languages, swearing ,cursing and accusing each other about which party love Khmer than which, can we have a constructed ideas like 12:00AM for the sake of Khmer nation?
bias media, stop saying or telling the readers that the area adjacent to cambodia's preah vihear temple is unclear, etc, ok! in accordance to the international treaty map of 1907, the area is clearly marked and belongs to cambodia. your siem unilateral map of stealing from cambodia is the illegal map that cambodia can never accept, ok! so stop saying that the court did not rule on the area adjacent to our preah vihear temple, ok! and it is spell "preah vihear", not prah viharn or some kind of fake name translated from our khmer name, ok! get informed and educated already, really!
siem pad thugs don't even respect the international law, asean is international and try to tell that to siem pad thugs! they are clueless, really! to them, it's all about their own interest, forget others', really!
To the people who support foreigner such as Thais or Viet to invade our motherland are traitors. These people have no place in Cambodia or elsewhere, what they said it just pro invader Thais or Viet and accuse Khmer for everything so Khmer became the scapegoat of these traitors.
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