Source: Deum Ampil newspaper
Reported in English by Khmerization
People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in Thailand plans to sue "a group of national traitors" - a group of government officials whom they accused of treason by conniving with each other to provide legal legitimacy Cambodia to inscribe the Preah Vihear temple in the Unesco's World Heritage List.
Speaking during a televised debate on ASTV, Mr. Vira Sumkwamkid, leader of the People Against Corruption and Mr. Banthep Phophongphat, spokesman for the PAD, accused Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya (pictured) of having an intention of selling out the Thai nation because when the border agreement with Cambodia was passed by the Thai parliament it is tantamount to a legal recognition of the Cambodian ownership of the Preah Vihear areas.
The two debaters, whose groups were backed by the Royal Palace and top military brass, said their lawyer, Mr. Surath Aphaisakd, has drafted a legal complaint to the Thai court against certain Thai government officials under Article 119 and Article 129 of the Thai Constitution. Article 119 of the Thai Constitution states "The person(s) who cause(s) the Thai kingdom or part of the kingdom to fall under the sovereignty of a foreign country will face a death or life sentence."
Article 129 states "the person(s) who support(s) wrongful acts will be charged as the perpetrator(s) of that acts."
The group did not specify when they will lodge a legal complaint against those "national traitors" group of officials, but they hinted that it will be done before Friday (11th September?).
Foreign Miniter Kasit Piromya recently spoke on national television in an address to the Thai nation to assure critics and detractors that Thailand has not lost or will not lose any territories to Cambodia under the agreement.
However, Mr. Bathep Phophongphat accused Mr. Kasit of changing his hardline stance in regard to border issues with Cambodia when he was a member of the PAD before he became a government minister.
Mr. Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Cambodian Foreign Ministry, cannot be reached for comments, but he has previously told Deum Ampil that the issues of Thailand losing territories to Cambodia stems from the fact that Thailand uses the map unilaterally drawn by Thailand itself. “The real solution is to solve the issues by international map, Thailand cannot use its own map to solve the border problems,” said Koy Kuong, adding that “It is a mistake that Thailand uses its own map to solve the border issues with Cambodia.”
Mr. Var Kimhong, Cambodian border chief negotiator, said Thailand cannot claim the areas. "The Thai people cannot claim the areas. They have to think carefully because Preah Vihear temple and the surrounding areas are situated inside Cambodian sovereignty and the claims made by the Thai public in the past are baseless."
Reported in English by Khmerization
People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in Thailand plans to sue "a group of national traitors" - a group of government officials whom they accused of treason by conniving with each other to provide legal legitimacy Cambodia to inscribe the Preah Vihear temple in the Unesco's World Heritage List.
Speaking during a televised debate on ASTV, Mr. Vira Sumkwamkid, leader of the People Against Corruption and Mr. Banthep Phophongphat, spokesman for the PAD, accused Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya (pictured) of having an intention of selling out the Thai nation because when the border agreement with Cambodia was passed by the Thai parliament it is tantamount to a legal recognition of the Cambodian ownership of the Preah Vihear areas.
The two debaters, whose groups were backed by the Royal Palace and top military brass, said their lawyer, Mr. Surath Aphaisakd, has drafted a legal complaint to the Thai court against certain Thai government officials under Article 119 and Article 129 of the Thai Constitution. Article 119 of the Thai Constitution states "The person(s) who cause(s) the Thai kingdom or part of the kingdom to fall under the sovereignty of a foreign country will face a death or life sentence."
Article 129 states "the person(s) who support(s) wrongful acts will be charged as the perpetrator(s) of that acts."
The group did not specify when they will lodge a legal complaint against those "national traitors" group of officials, but they hinted that it will be done before Friday (11th September?).
Foreign Miniter Kasit Piromya recently spoke on national television in an address to the Thai nation to assure critics and detractors that Thailand has not lost or will not lose any territories to Cambodia under the agreement.
However, Mr. Bathep Phophongphat accused Mr. Kasit of changing his hardline stance in regard to border issues with Cambodia when he was a member of the PAD before he became a government minister.
Mr. Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Cambodian Foreign Ministry, cannot be reached for comments, but he has previously told Deum Ampil that the issues of Thailand losing territories to Cambodia stems from the fact that Thailand uses the map unilaterally drawn by Thailand itself. “The real solution is to solve the issues by international map, Thailand cannot use its own map to solve the border problems,” said Koy Kuong, adding that “It is a mistake that Thailand uses its own map to solve the border issues with Cambodia.”
Mr. Var Kimhong, Cambodian border chief negotiator, said Thailand cannot claim the areas. "The Thai people cannot claim the areas. They have to think carefully because Preah Vihear temple and the surrounding areas are situated inside Cambodian sovereignty and the claims made by the Thai public in the past are baseless."
5 comments:
Thai are just playing game to make Khmer trust Kasit goverment.
pad will lose. international law says we own it. i hope pad will file this case. this way when they lose. then it will be over for them forever. and we khmers will throw the biggest celebration ever and better yet we make it a national holiday.
Thai government allow its critics to sue it because at the end it is about Thai interests. But Hun Sen will crack down on any one who want to protest against Thai invasion of Preah Vihear. If we think carefully Hun Sen is a traitor.
game or not but we do know what we want.the bad things is that they are dragging us too far. they try to slow our progresses as much as possible.what we do need is to keep our clear head and hold them by the horn and play along(of course if khmer unite).we have the time but the thai might out played themself.just look at their own turmoil.
While you fiddle, Rome burns.
Don't you understand? This is a political game to take your attention away from the real problems in our countryt. I'm sure if the Khmer peasantry were able to write English and had access to computers they would be talking about the lack of food, hospitals, money, roads etc. Middle class Khmers should put your education to some good and worry about those things that really affect alot of people.
Isn't it good timing for the government that preah vihear became a problem just in time for elections!!!!! Think about it!!! Your pride in your country and your history is being used by the elite to promote their interests and their continued hold on power. Don't be fooled by these jingoistic messages.
How will the loss or retention of preah vihear really affect Cambodia? Really? What will we lose apart from the miniscule tourist revenue, most of which came from thailand until the government started reminding people that the temple existed (suddenly roads begin to appear where for decades there were none - did they just remember it was there?). If the temple was in Thai territory would the historians say the Thais built it? No. They would continue to say it was built during the Angkorian Khmer Empire. For historical sites that existed long before current national boundaries what does it matter who 'owns' it. As a world heritage site, it belongs to the heritage of the world, hence the name. So, it belongs to everyone as a symbol of human / world heritage. Semantics is a waste of time.
Get off your comfortable chairs in front of your laptops and desktops and start paying attention to the majority of people in our country. Or else, at some point, history will repeat itself.
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