JBC chair: Thai-Cambodian diplomatic spat on Thaksin may affect border talks

BANGKOK, Nov 6 (TNA) – The Thai co-chairman of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) admitted Friday that the diplomatic spat between the two countries following the appointment of convicted Thai premier as economic adviser to the Cambodian government may affect the future talks on the border dispute between the two neighbouring countries.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday recalled the Thai envoy to Phnom Penh, in its first retaliation to Cambodia after it appointed convicted former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as personal advisor to Cambodian Premier Hun Sen and advisor on economy to his government.

Cambodia later withdrew its envoy to Thailand in a reciprocal action.

The Thai foreign ministry reasoned that the Cambodian decision to appoint Mr Thaksin and its stated intention to deny Thailand's request to extradite the ex-Thai premier to face jail in Thailand means that the neighbouring country could not differentiate between the bilateral relations of the two nations and personal ties, and that Cambodia is now intervening Thailand's domestic affairs and harming the Thai justice procedure.

Vasin Teeravechyan, advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in his capacity as border commission co-chairman, said that the Thai decision to recall its ambassador to Phnom Penh is considered normal retaliation against the Cambodian government, while Cambodia also responded at the same level of reciprocal action by withdrawing its ambassador to Bangkok.

Mr Vasin said that no special procedure is needed if the two countries want to restore their diplomatic ties.”It depends on the circumstances,” he added. “If the situation eases up, the relationship between the two kingdoms will be restored automatically.

"If the Cambodian government revokes its order appointing Mr Thaksin as its adviser, it can be assumed that the ambassadors of the two countries can resume their duties," JBC co-chairman Vasin said.

He admitted, however, that the latest diplomatic spat on the Thaksin case will make the work under the JBC framework more difficult, although it has not yet had a direct impact on the commission.

He described that three JBC minutes can still not proceed as they have not been approved by the Thai Parliament.

"Whether the work under JBC framework will be delayed or not depends on the policy of the government and Parliament," said the JBC co-chairman. "Until now I have not been informed any order from the government."

Tensions between the neighbouring countries flared after the United Nations cultural body UNESCO approved Cambodia's bid in July last year to list the 11th century temple as a world heritage site, while the question of sovereignty over the 4.6 square kilometres of surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.

The two neighbouring countries however reiterated to solve the border conflicts peacefully through JBC mechanism, while there were some clashes between the soldiers of two countries along the border.

Border meeting 'better than expected', says Vasin

Vasin: Avoid political games

Sunday November 23, 2008
Bangkok Post

ON THE Record

Vasin Teeravechyan, chairman of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), talks to THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL about the latest attempts to resolve the border spat and the challenges ahead.

What were your impressions before and after the JBC meeting on Nov 10-12 in Siem Reap?

Before the meeting, I thought there would be many problems and I didn't expect much would be achieved, but the results were quite good. I thought Cambodia understood Thailand well enough and the meeting avoided sensitive issues, for example whether to call the temple Preah Vihear or Phra Viharn. Each side knew each other's weaknesses and sought a compromise. The meeting was good but I don't know how long both countries can avoid touching on the sensitive issues.

If the pending issues [the name of the temple and reduction of troops] are not approved by parliament in this session, will it affect the negotiations?

I think it will pass parliament in this session. Other issues which were already agreed by both countries should have no problem moving forward. For example, the issue on the start of an immediate field survey and border demarcation at Preah Vihear temple or the setting up of a coordinating group to take care of future problems could begin immediately because they are explainable. If parliament does not agree, we could tackle these issues with Cambodia.

What would the result be if there was no Article 190 in the constitution?

Certainly, negotiations would be much easier. We used to do bilateral negotiations informally before requesting parliamentary approval when everything has been settled. Things are a little different now because we are required to consult parliament first for an approved framework for negotiation.

The point is we are handling these negotiations with the best intentions. But when people [who are opposed to the ministry's position] refuse to listen to our explanations, they close themselves off from the other sides of the issue.

I have met former deputy foreign minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra and asked him to tell the Democrat party about the Preah Vihear temple issue. I also plan to meet many people to talk about this issue. If issues like this are pulled into a political game, the country cannot survive.

Should the JBC conduct border surveys and demarcation in other areas concurrently with the area near Preah Vihear temple?

Yes, I think so, otherwise the border demarcation process will be delayed. The two survey and demarcation teams should start together. Both sides have agreed on this but have not yet decided on other areas apart from Preah Vihear.

Do you see a change in position by Phnom Penh after finishing the first round of talks?

Yes. The Phnom Penh government showed its commitment to resolving the border problems. It cannot be rushed. If either side tries to rush, it will be at a disadvantage, because they are lots of details to discuss.

Compared to other borders Thailand shares with its neighbours, does the Thai-Cambodian border have more problems?

It does have more problems than the Thai-Lao border. But in fact, all borders have problems because the agreements which Thailand has had with France and the UK in the past were quite rough. When we pointed to the watershed on the map, it was not precise. Sometimes we could not find the names in the new maps, so we have to survey the areas physically to verify the locations before demarcation can be finalised.

When will we use the maps for the discussions?

We hope to do that once the survey teams have completed their work. But the more we touch on the maps, the more problems will arise [because Thailand and Cambodia use different maps as their references].

When you decided to accept this position (Chairman of JBC), what were you most concerned about?

It was the different ideas of people around the country. I was quite stressed because I had to think of people first before doing anything. I also reaffirmed with Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat and everyone I met that I would not get involved in politics.

Vasin the key player in border talks

Vasin: Took up challenge

Monday November 10, 2008
THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Bangkok Post

When Thai and Cambodian officials sit down for talks to end their border dispute today and tomorrow in Siem Reap, the spotlight will be on Vasin Teeravechyan.

The low-profile Mr Vasin has been picked to lead the Thai delegation on the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) to face his Cambodian counterpart Var Kim Hong, Prime Minister Hun Sen's adviser and senior minister.

Mr Vasin came out of retirement for this role, having been the Thai ambassador to South Korea in his last position.

He was approached late last month by permanent secretary for foreign affairs Virasakdi Futrakul and his former boss Saroj Chavanaviraj to take up what is a sensitive post, given the rocky relations between Thailand and Cambodia now.

He accepted because he wanted to help his country end the conflict.

The head of the JBC delegation is normally a deputy foreign minister. But since Thailand does not currently have one, Mr Vasin's position is the closest equivalent.

He has made it clear that he is not involved in politics and has no personal relationship with Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat.

The appointment of Mr Vasin, 60, has raised hopes among ministry officials. Many see him as the right choice because of his past experience in handling border demarcation issues with neighbouring countries.

"We are very glad to have someone who is knowledgeable about the border problems with Cambodia to lead the negotiations, rather than a politician with no background in such issues," one ministry official said.

Mr Vasin has strong credentials both in education and work experience.

A law graduate from Chulalongkorn University, he spent 37 years working at the ministry, most of the time handling legal matters at the Treaties and Legal Affairs Department.

He started as a junior officer working in different divisions, and gradually gathered his diplomatic skills and experience until becoming director-general of the department in 1997.

As director-general, Mr Vasin helped the department pave the way for border negotiations with neighbouring countries.

He also helped prepare the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on land border demarcation between Thailand and Cambodia in 2000.

But he left to become ambassador to the Netherlands before the signing and then moved to the South Korean post.

The MoU will be used as a framework for the JBC at the two-day meeting in Cambodia.

Under the MoU, the two sides have agreed to separate the work of demarcation into seven sections along the 798km border and will discuss the field survey and demarcation of non-disputed areas first. Troubled areas, such as the 4.6 sq km near Preah Vihear temple, are expected to be discussed later. Thailand uses the same negotiation framework with Laos and Malaysia.

Fresh talks on border squabble

Tharit: Patience is essential
[How much patience does Cambodia need?]

Tuesday November 04, 2008
THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Bangkok Post

THAI-CAMBODIAN ROW

Thailand and Cambodia will hold border talks next week followed by a meeting of foreign ministers in a fresh attempt to resolve the land border dispute.

The Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) has been set for Monday and Tuesday in Siem Reap, and the disputed 4.6-square-kilometre area surrounding Preah Vihear temple is high on the agenda, foreign affairs spokesman Tharit Charungwat said yesterday.

Mr Tharit said patience was needed. An agreement could not be expected overnight, despite the best intentions to resolve the problem through bilateral negotiations.

"I'm glad both sides have agreed to bilateral talks, but we all must exercise restraint because many rounds of talks can be expected," said Mr Tharit.

Field survey teams from both countries may be going to the borders during the talks, he added.

Both countries claim sovereignty over the disputed area. Thailand says it is in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket, but Cambodia insists it is part of its Preah Vihear province.

The JBC meeting comes after parliament last week approved a negotiation framework with Cambodia.

Vasin Teeravechyan, the retired Thai ambassador to South Korea, heads the Thai team to the JBC meeting. He yesterday attended the preparatory meeting at the Foreign Ministry.

The Cambodian side is led by Senior Minister Var Kim Hong.

Mr Tharit said Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong will meet on Nov 12 in Siem Reap after the JBC forum.

He said Cambodia may also raise other disputed areas, such as Ta Muean Thom and Ta Kwai temples, during the ministerial talks, as it had previously intended to at the last meeting in August.

[Thai] FM to visit Siem Reap for border talks

November 4, 2008
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat will join his Cambodia counterpart Hor Namhong in Siem Reap on November 12 for another round of talks on resolving the Preah Vihear border dispute.

It would be the third such meeting following the two in July and August between former foreign minister Tej Bunnag and Hor Namhong.

Sompong, who succeeded Tej more than a month ago, would discuss the areas with overlapping claims near the Khmer sanctuaries of Ta Muen Thom and Ta Muen Kwai Krabey.

The agenda was set at the second ministerial meeting in Thailand's resort beach town of Cha-Am in August, ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said yesterday.

"We are glad to see the restoration of a good atmosphere and resumption of negotiations between the two countries," he said.

Thailand and Cambodia have been engaged in a war of words since July after the Preah Vihear Temple was inscribed on the list of world heritage sites. The tensions escalated into a border skirmish last month that claimed the lives of four soldiers on both sides and wounded many others.

A new round of ongoing boundary demarcation talks with Cambodia would be held from November 1014 after Parliament gave the goahead.

Vasin Teeravechyan, former ambassador to South Korea and co-chairman of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC), would lead the Thai team.

The JBC might pick the disputed area near Preah Vihear Temple as a priority, Tharit added.