“Cambodia should insist on using the 1907 treaty maps to settle any border disputes with Thailand because they are the correct maps…….Cambodia had been abused, raped and pillaged by her neighbours since time immemorial. It is time her neighbours allow this unfortunate country to exist with dignity.”
Editorial by Khmerization:- Cambodia’s territorial integrity is a very sensitive issue and had always triggered a nervous knee-jerk reaction from her neighbours, whenever Cambodia reviews her own borders (read the links 1&2 below).
The recent summons of the Cambodian and French ambassadors by Thai Foreign Ministry is proof of that nervous knee-jerk reactions from a neighbour who is suspected of encroaching on Cambodia’s borders once too many times. By summoning Cambodian and French ambassadors to protest over Cambodia’s use of “ancient maps” to review her own borders, Thailand has been seen as employing a bullying and a heavy-handed tactical approach in the settlements of the border disputations with Cambodia. Naturally, Thailand should not be concerned with Cambodia using any maps at all, If Thailand had not encroached on Cambodia’s borders. The fact that Thailand is concerned, sensitive and nervous about Cambodia using certain maps is yet again another sign that Thailand has something to hide. The case in point, Thailand had probably encroached on Cambodia’s borders.
The last, and the only, time that Cambodia had a border treaty with Thailand was in 1907, when the French Protectorate forced Thailand, then called Siam, to return Battambang and Siem Reap, occupied by Siam in the late 18th century, to Cambodia. The “ancient maps”, of which Thailand had referred to, were probably maps from the 1907 treaty. By “international practices”, that Thailand was talking about, Cambodia is right in using those “ancient maps”. If any discrepancies or deviations were found, to benefit whichever side, then the 1907 treaty had probably been violated by that party.
By international diplomatic practices, it should be Cambodia who should summon the Thai ambassador to protest over Thailand’s encroachments on Cambodia’s borders, instead of Thailand summoning the Cambodian ambassador. Cambodia’s use of the “ancient maps”, which incurred the ire of Thailand, had shown that Ta Moan Temple as being located inside Cambodia. But presently Thailand claims Ta Moan temple as its own.
Another concern is Thailand’s declaration of a Joint Development Areas of some 26,000-square kilometres of the so-called “overlapping areas” of the maritime borders (read link 3 below). Mr. Sean Pengse, the chairman of the Cambodia’s Border Committee based in France, claimed that there are 30,000-square kilometres of Cambodia’s sea coast which have been claimed as overlapping areas by Thailand. Could it be that the 26,000-square kilometres that Thailand was talking about the same as the 30,000-square kilometres that Mr. Sean Pengse was talking about? If so, Cambodia is sharing half of its cake with Thailand. And that is not fair.
Cambodia should insist on using the 1907 treaty maps to settle any border disputes with Thailand because they are the correct maps. Cambodia must also be firm with Ta Moan temple, as well as any other encroached parts, as it was firm with Thailand on Preah Vihear temple. If Cambodia accepts the status quo as a fait accompli, then Ta Moan temple and other encroached parts of Cambodia will be a forgone conclusion.
Cambodia had been abused, raped and pillaged by her neighbours since time immemorial. It is time her neighbours allow this unfortunate country to exist with dignity. //END//
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Link 1: http://khmerization.blogspot.com/2008/03/cambodia-is-wrongly-claiming-part-of.html
Link 2:http://khmerization.blogspot.com/2008/03/foreign-ministry-summons-french.html
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