Thailand-Cambodia Dispute Can Be Settled Under Bilateral Framework: Abhisit [-It has not worked so far...]

BANGKOK, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Thursday reasserted that the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia could be addressed and successfully resolved under a bilateral framework, Thai news agency (TNA) reported.

He conceded that there was no conclusion yet whether the Thailand-Cambodia dispute should be raised for discussion at an Asean meeting.

Abhisit said he understood that once Vietnam, as Asean chairman, had received a written complaint from Cambodia, it would seek comments on the matter from other Asean members.

However, he believed, all Asean members would realise the dispute could be resolved under the bilateral framework as with many cases that occurred earlier.

"The dispute is considered an internal affair of an Asean [member], but it is usual that member countries express concern and occasionally wanted the group to play a role in helping address it.

"However at this stage, we remain confident we can address the dispute under the bilateral framework. So, it is unnecessary to make written clarifications to member countries," he said.

The Thai premier also shrugged off the Phnom Penh's claim that Cambodia needed to bring up the dispute for consideration as multilateral level talks because Thailand's Parliament failed to consider ways to address the problem proposed by the Joint Border Committee for its reading.

He said the dispute-solving process had now proceeded under the agreement, but the internal process of each country must be respected.

"In Thailand, the issue must be deliberated under a parliamentary process, which must be respected. The government has no intention to make a delay," he said.

Cambodia seeks help from UN, ASEAN over military stalemate with Thailand

PHNOM PENH, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government has written letters to the United Nations Security Council, UNESCO and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for mediation to end its week-long military standoff with Thailand in border area near the Preah Vihear Temple.

"We have asked the UN Security Council to have an urgent meeting to find a peaceful resolution for our border tension," said Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong here Tuesday.

UN could possibly have a meeting next Monday, he said at a briefing meeting with foreign diplomatic corps, ASEAN and EU representatives, about border tension between Cambodia and Thailand.

"We have asked the Thai side to withdraw their troops from Cambodian territory, and requested the Thai side to return to the status quo prior to July 15, 2008," he added.

In another development, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has written a letter to UNESCO, accusing Thailand of aggression by moving troops into disputed border territory, and warned that Thailand threatened peace in the region.

"Thai behavior gravely threatens peace and stability in the region" and Thailand is "defying all principles of international law," Hun Sen said in the letter addressed to Koichiro Matsuura, director general of UNESCO.

Thailand's "unwarranted aggression" violates international convention designed to protect World Heritage sites during times of conflict by stationing heavily armed soldiers near the Preah Vihear Temple, he said in the letter dated Monday and made public Tuesday.

In addition, Hor Namhong wrote a letter on Monday to ask Singapore, the presiding country of ASEAN, to form a regional inter-ministerial group to help find a peaceful solution to the crisis and avoid military confrontation between the two ASEAN members.

In the letter addressed to Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo, he said, "Thai troops with artillery and tanks are building up along the border, constituting a very serious threat not only to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia, but also to peace and stability in the region."

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the Cambodian Council of Ministers organized a special press conference to show maps, files and documents to domestic and international journalist to testify the kingdom's conventional and legalized ownership of the border area and the Preah Vihear Temple.

"Thailand invaded Cambodian sovereignty, saying that the land where they deployed their troops is Thailand soil according to their map which was drawn unilaterally," said Chan Tani, secretary of state of the Council of Ministers.

Currently, both sides stationed over a thousand troops at the border near the Preah Vihear Temple, which was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 by the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.

Bilateral top-level talks on Monday in Thailand failed to reach any agreement to end the military standoff.

On last Tuesday, three Thai protesters trespassed the border to reclaim the temple, but were immediately arrested. Thai troops then came in to fetch them, thus triggering face-off with Cambodian soldiers there. Bilateral military build-up then occurred day by day.

Cambodia wants ASEAN mediation in border row with Thailand

SINGAPORE, July 22, 2008
Kyodo

Cambodia on Monday accepted an offer by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to help it and neighboring Thailand resolve a military standoff along their disputed border while Bangkok wanted the issue settled bilaterally.

The development came after talks between the two countries earlier in the day failed to end the tense confrontation.

In a letter sent to Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo, who is chairing an annual series of ASEAN ministerial meetings in Singapore this week, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong asked him to form an "ASEAN Inter-Ministerial Group" comprising the foreign ministers of Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Laos.

The group would be asked "to help find a peaceful solution to the current crisis and to avoid military confrontation between two ASEAN members," Hor Namhong said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Kyodo News.

He complained that Thai troops, artillery and tanks "are building up along the border, constituting a very serious threat not only to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia but also to peace and stability in our region."

Meanwhile, Thai deputy Prime Minister Sahas Bunditkul said Thailand wants to settle the issue bilaterally.

Speaking to reporters after the ASEAN ministerial meeting, Sahas said he understands the goodwill of ASEAN members in offering to resolve the border standoff with Cambodia. But he added Thailand wants to handle the matter bilaterally.

"I will show you an example. If A and B have a conflict, they probably want to resolve by themselves. A and B have to talk and it will take time to resolve the problem. It's not possible to set deadline only one day and then let another hand to mediate", he said.

The Cambodian letter comes after ASEAN foreign ministers on Sunday issued a joint statement urging Cambodia and Thailand "to exercise utmost restraint and resolve this issue amicably, in the spirit of ASEAN solidarity and good neighborliness."

They said ASEAN would place its facilities at the two countries' disposal "in the event that they felt the need for further support to find an early resolution to the issue."

The ministers also expressed hope that Cambodia and Thailand could find a way to resolve the issue between themselves at a special session of their General Border Committee.

But that meeting, which was held Monday in the Thai border town of Aranyaprathet involving Cambodian Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh and Thai Supreme Commander Gen. Boonsrang Niumpradit, ended after some 8 hours with only pledges to refrain from violence and avert armed confrontations.

Boonsrang admitted to reporters the two sides were unable to come up with "proper" recommendations to make to their respective governments.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters Monday that he had proposed in Singapore that a "contact group" be set up by ASEAN "to facilitate their talks over the dispute if the two sides fail to find solutions in their border meeting."

"I'm afraid that if we don't manage this issue well, it will affect the political stability in this region. So there is a need to deal with this issue seriously," he added.

He said ASEAN was "uncomfortable" that Cambodia last week approached the U.N. Security Council on the matter, claiming Thai soldiers have been encroaching on its territory since last Tuesday in the vicinity of the Preah Vihear temple, which has been at the center of a bitter 50-year bilateral dispute.

The ancient cliff-top temple was earlier this month inscribed as a World Heritage site, capping seven years of efforts by Phnom Penh over Bangkok's objections.

Thailand had occupied the area from 1949 when Cambodia was a French protectorate, but Cambodia won possession of the temple through an International Court of Justice ruling in 1962.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (with contributions from Puy Kea in Phnom Penh and Varunee Torsricharoen in Bangkok)