Opinion by Khmerization
26th August, 2008
Thailand’s diplomatic games of hide-and-seek over the issues of Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temples is nothing short of dishonesty and should be a concern to all Khmer patriots. Equally, the soft, and sometimes lethargic, response of the Cambodian government to Thailand’s aggression and invasion is worrisome. And Cambodia’s agreements to allow 10 Thai soldiers to remain in the occupied territories is a diplomatic disaster and is tantamount to a de jure recognition of Thailand’s rightful claims to the “occupied territories“. It is also tantamount to surrendering the Khmer sovereignty and territorial integrity to Thailand.
I have said all along that Thailand wants to use bilateral talks, as opposed to the internationalisation of the issue, as a mean to buy more time and to prolong the occupation of the so-called “disputed territories”. With three fruitless negotiations so far, the military status quo remains unchanged and the occupation still continues unabated.
Cambodia must not be so naïve and must realise that Thailand was the aggressor and the invader. Any negotiations must include a demand for a total Thai withdrawal from the occupied territories. To agree to a partial withdrawal is tantamount to no withdrawal at all because the reality is that the areas are still occupied by Thai forces, whether with 1,000 troops or 10 soldiers is no different, as the areas remained under occupation. The current agreement for troop reduction, as opposed to total troop withdrawal, is a diplomatic victory for Thailand. In short, Thailand had achieved what they set out to achieve and that is to remain in the occupied territories and stake a territorial claim over the areas.
With Thailand engaging in active diplomatic manoeuvres in recent weeks, Cambodia should have woken up to the facts of Thailand’s real intentions already and that is to remain in the “occupied territories“ permanently and stake a legal claim over the areas. In the past few weeks, Thailand had invited journalists and foreign diplomatic corps to visit the “occupied territories” . The Thai PM, Mr. Samak, had planned to visit the areas. But most worrisome is Thailand’s actions of involving U.S President George W. Bush on the Preah Vihear disputes with Cambodia when it briefed him on the issues during Bush’s recent visit to Thailand. Thailand’s diplomatic drives, including involving the U.S president in the disputes, is nothing short of dishonesty. Thailand was vehemently opposed to Cambodia taking the issue to the international stage by saying that it is a bilateral issue that should be resolved through bilateral talks. And yet Thailand had actively and dishonestly engaged in a diplomatic coup to get an advantage edge over Cambodia.
Cambodia should wake up to the facts by now. With its active diplomatic manoeuvres in recent weeks, Thailand is sending a clear message to Cambodia that it is preparing for a long battle of diplomatic and legal war, or possibly a real battleground warfare with Cambodia over Preah Vihear. With the world focussing their attention on the Beijing Olympic Games and the war between Georgia and Russia raging in South Ossetia, the Cambodia-Thai military confrontations in Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temples is only a footnote to the world event and would not warrant their attention. That’s why I have said all along that Cambodia must bring the Preah Vihear issue to the world stage when it is still hot.
The talks in Hua Hin, in Thailand’s southern resort town, on the 18th of August will not yield any fruitful results for Cambodia. On the contrary, it will be another diplomatic victory for Thailand again, if Cambodia did not succeed in its demand for a total withdrawal by Thai troops from the Preah Vihear areas.
Cambodia should go to the negotiating table with clear set of goals. Cambodia must not be ambivalent on the Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temples. It must be unequivocally and consistently insisting on a total Thai withdrawal. Anything else, including border demarcations, should be off the agenda and should be discussed only after the Thai withdrawal had been verified as complete. If Cambodia did not have a clear set of agenda, then it surely will fall into Thailand’s trap of diplomatic games of hide-and-seek like in the previous three negotiations. If so, Cambodia had been hypnotised, duped and naively and unknowingly been deceived times and times again. I am very pessimistic about the Preah Vihear solutions because anything less than a total Thai withdrawal is unacceptable. And I do not hope to see a total Thai withdrawal in the foreseeable future.
26th August, 2008
“Thailand’s diplomatic drives, including involving the U.S president in the disputes, is nothing short of dishonesty. Thailand was vehemently opposed to Cambodia taking the issue to the international stage by saying that it is a bilateral issue that should be resolved through bilateral talks. And yet Thailand had actively and dishonestly engaged in a diplomatic coup to get an advantage edge over Cambodia.”
Thailand’s diplomatic games of hide-and-seek over the issues of Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temples is nothing short of dishonesty and should be a concern to all Khmer patriots. Equally, the soft, and sometimes lethargic, response of the Cambodian government to Thailand’s aggression and invasion is worrisome. And Cambodia’s agreements to allow 10 Thai soldiers to remain in the occupied territories is a diplomatic disaster and is tantamount to a de jure recognition of Thailand’s rightful claims to the “occupied territories“. It is also tantamount to surrendering the Khmer sovereignty and territorial integrity to Thailand.
I have said all along that Thailand wants to use bilateral talks, as opposed to the internationalisation of the issue, as a mean to buy more time and to prolong the occupation of the so-called “disputed territories”. With three fruitless negotiations so far, the military status quo remains unchanged and the occupation still continues unabated.
Cambodia must not be so naïve and must realise that Thailand was the aggressor and the invader. Any negotiations must include a demand for a total Thai withdrawal from the occupied territories. To agree to a partial withdrawal is tantamount to no withdrawal at all because the reality is that the areas are still occupied by Thai forces, whether with 1,000 troops or 10 soldiers is no different, as the areas remained under occupation. The current agreement for troop reduction, as opposed to total troop withdrawal, is a diplomatic victory for Thailand. In short, Thailand had achieved what they set out to achieve and that is to remain in the occupied territories and stake a territorial claim over the areas.
With Thailand engaging in active diplomatic manoeuvres in recent weeks, Cambodia should have woken up to the facts of Thailand’s real intentions already and that is to remain in the “occupied territories“ permanently and stake a legal claim over the areas. In the past few weeks, Thailand had invited journalists and foreign diplomatic corps to visit the “occupied territories” . The Thai PM, Mr. Samak, had planned to visit the areas. But most worrisome is Thailand’s actions of involving U.S President George W. Bush on the Preah Vihear disputes with Cambodia when it briefed him on the issues during Bush’s recent visit to Thailand. Thailand’s diplomatic drives, including involving the U.S president in the disputes, is nothing short of dishonesty. Thailand was vehemently opposed to Cambodia taking the issue to the international stage by saying that it is a bilateral issue that should be resolved through bilateral talks. And yet Thailand had actively and dishonestly engaged in a diplomatic coup to get an advantage edge over Cambodia.
Cambodia should wake up to the facts by now. With its active diplomatic manoeuvres in recent weeks, Thailand is sending a clear message to Cambodia that it is preparing for a long battle of diplomatic and legal war, or possibly a real battleground warfare with Cambodia over Preah Vihear. With the world focussing their attention on the Beijing Olympic Games and the war between Georgia and Russia raging in South Ossetia, the Cambodia-Thai military confrontations in Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temples is only a footnote to the world event and would not warrant their attention. That’s why I have said all along that Cambodia must bring the Preah Vihear issue to the world stage when it is still hot.
The talks in Hua Hin, in Thailand’s southern resort town, on the 18th of August will not yield any fruitful results for Cambodia. On the contrary, it will be another diplomatic victory for Thailand again, if Cambodia did not succeed in its demand for a total withdrawal by Thai troops from the Preah Vihear areas.
Cambodia should go to the negotiating table with clear set of goals. Cambodia must not be ambivalent on the Preah Vihear and Ta Moan temples. It must be unequivocally and consistently insisting on a total Thai withdrawal. Anything else, including border demarcations, should be off the agenda and should be discussed only after the Thai withdrawal had been verified as complete. If Cambodia did not have a clear set of agenda, then it surely will fall into Thailand’s trap of diplomatic games of hide-and-seek like in the previous three negotiations. If so, Cambodia had been hypnotised, duped and naively and unknowingly been deceived times and times again. I am very pessimistic about the Preah Vihear solutions because anything less than a total Thai withdrawal is unacceptable. And I do not hope to see a total Thai withdrawal in the foreseeable future.
3 comments:
Khmerization;
Personally don't think G. W Bush would take much note on briefing by Thailand during his visit and speech there.
The so-called Protectoral Club during the all out war in indochina which Thailand is warranted and enjoyed the full protections by USA will soon expired, despite their good relationship for 175 years. This is a new ball game and new era of interest in Asia by super-power.
G W Bush will leave the office by end of this year. MaCain would have to work extra hard should he wanted to win the race for the white house over Obama then world will be a completely different world as seen during the Senior and Junior Bush.
Thailand will soon have to abandon their agression, personally would think that members of Asean state will not fall short to raise the agenda at Asean Ministerial Summit even if Thailand is to chair for the next 18 months.
Totally agree regarding Bush and McCain-Obama. Bush will not take much notice, he has more pressing issues to be concerned about. But Thailand's diplomatic posturing should be seen as Thailand's intention to fight on diplomatically, legally and even militarily should Cambodia insisting on claiming the ownership of the whole "disputed areas". The agreement for partial troop withdrawal on Saturday 16th August was a complete disaster for Cambodia, because the bottom line is that Thailand still control the territories they occupied. Only the complete withdrawal and the hand over of control of the "occupied territories" to Cambodia is seen as a solution. The agreement to allow each side to maintain 10 soldiers in the occupied areas is nothing. To maintain 10 , 40 or 1,000 soldiers is the same, because the areas are still occupied. The areas have not been handed over to Cambodia yet. This is the sticking point of the dispute.
Khmerization;
Do agree with you that to maintain a small amount of soldiers from both side on disputed area is still the same due to the fact that the areas are still occupied, however, this agreement is actually reduce the level of tension as the first step toward a permanent resolution which eventually benefit both sides in term of once for all recognition and demarcation of border.
The RGC may postpone its complaint lodged with the UN but it doesn't necessary mean that it is inapplicable should further negotiation failed to produce any fruitful conclusion. Thailand felt the heat with that complaint and of course trying to to have the long term ally "US" on side should thing went wrong [no doubt that US policy toward Thailand has been on awkward position since last coup to overthrown Thaksin - the big question mark of where the democracy in Thailand is heading to which echoed concerns by the King of Thailand, however, there is a shift of US policy in favor of Cambodia almost all frontiers]
I still beleive that by the end of the day, Thailand would eventually abandon their agression in favor of open dialogue - they can see right now that their mighty military muscles failed to convince the world community and ASEAN that they have done the right thing so far in regard to sovereignty of its nation.
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