By Khmer Surin
๔๘ ปีหลังจากคดีศาลโลก, ความสัมพันธ์รัก-เกลียดระหว่าง เขมร-ไทย
Forty-eight years after the International Court of Justice rendered its decision regarding Preah Vihear Temple on June 15, 1962, Thailand continues to blindly disobey the world court's decision. The dispute was started when Field Marshal Sarit of Thailand ordered troops to occupy Preah Vihear temple and the adjacent areas some 50 years after the temple became under Cambodia's sovereignty under Franco-Siamese treaty of 1904-07. Preah Vihear is considered sacred to the Khmers, second only to Angkor Wat because of its unsual breathtaking site on top of cliff. The ongoing conflict is a political pawn used by the Abhisit government to stir Thai nationalism in order to secure his undemocratic PM seat. The same repeating situation has now passed on to other Khmer temples of Prasat Ta Moan and Ta Krabey, with Thai troops illegally occupying Khmer Temples. If necessary, Cambodia may have to go back to the world court once again over these temples. Instead of focussing on its internal problems and fostering good neighbourly friendship, the Thai government choses a dangerous hostile path with its neighbours. It fought a brief border dispute war with Laos back in 1987-88 and now with Cambodia. How can such a country expects others to respect and obey it's own law and be in good terms when Thailand itself does not even respect international law and continues to be arrogant and uncivilized toward its neighbours.
The ICJ decision of 1962 was clear in black and white. The Thai government may be able to fool its citizen regarding the verdict, but it can never fool the world. Let's review the decision once again:
"In its Judgment on the merits the Court, by nine votes to three, found that the Temple of Preah Vihear was situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia and, in consequence, that Thailand was under an obligation to withdraw any military or police forces, or other guards or keepers, stationed by her at the Temple, or in its vicinity on Cambodian territory."
For over eight hundred years, Thailand has an immense awe and insatiable appetite for anything Khmer. Over 40% of its current language contains Khmer words, as seen in common terms like (walk-เดิน, birth-กำเนิด, nose-จมูก, grandny-ยาย, comrade-สหาย, music-เพลง, soldier-ทหาร, road-ถนน, etc.). Its culture is a mirror image of Khmer. Many Thai Kings and Queens over hundreds of years had Khmer blood, not to mention its people, especially those in the north-eastern provinces. The inventor of the Thai writing system was King Ram Kamhaeng (1239-1298). He was a at least half Khmer. He devised 44 Thai scripts based on lower case Khmer alphabets. The Thai numerals are identical to Khmer. The royal traditions and royal language between the two kingdoms are almost identical. An interesting note to this is that Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda, 84, (the only daughter of His Majesty King Vajiravudh, Rama VI) is first cousin of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and third cousin with former King Norodom Sihanouk. Khuang Abhaiwong who was of Khmer descent served three terms as Thai prime minister (1944–45, 1946, 1947–48). The relationship of Thailand and Cambodia is very unique. One can say that it is a love/hate relationship. With so much similarity like kinship, it would be nice if we all can live in fraternal peace and harmony. The recent Thaksin appointment as an advisor to the royal government of Cambodia should be a symbolic solidarity of friendship between the two countries, and should not be regarded as negative thing as publicized by the Abhisit government. It was not something new that Cambodia had appointed foreign advisors. Lee Myung-Bak was also an economic advisor of Cambodia before he was elected president of South Korea. Thaksin had mentioned that if Cambodia is more prosperous, wouldn't it be also good for Thai exported goods? And this would be a step toward the ASEAN Economic Community of 2015. With all said, maybe Mr. Abhisit should consider cooling off and withdraw all troops from Khmer territory per ICJ verdict of 1962 before the war of words get out of hand and burst into a full-scale war. Ignorance of the law and greediness are not the way to go if we are to live in peace and prosperity for many generations to come.
website: http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php sum=284&code=ct&p1=3&p2=3&case=45&k=46&p3=5
---Khmer Surin
---ชาวแขมร์จังหวัดสุรินทร์
๔๘ ปีหลังจากคดีศาลโลก, ความสัมพันธ์รัก-เกลียดระหว่าง เขมร-ไทย
Forty-eight years after the International Court of Justice rendered its decision regarding Preah Vihear Temple on June 15, 1962, Thailand continues to blindly disobey the world court's decision. The dispute was started when Field Marshal Sarit of Thailand ordered troops to occupy Preah Vihear temple and the adjacent areas some 50 years after the temple became under Cambodia's sovereignty under Franco-Siamese treaty of 1904-07. Preah Vihear is considered sacred to the Khmers, second only to Angkor Wat because of its unsual breathtaking site on top of cliff. The ongoing conflict is a political pawn used by the Abhisit government to stir Thai nationalism in order to secure his undemocratic PM seat. The same repeating situation has now passed on to other Khmer temples of Prasat Ta Moan and Ta Krabey, with Thai troops illegally occupying Khmer Temples. If necessary, Cambodia may have to go back to the world court once again over these temples. Instead of focussing on its internal problems and fostering good neighbourly friendship, the Thai government choses a dangerous hostile path with its neighbours. It fought a brief border dispute war with Laos back in 1987-88 and now with Cambodia. How can such a country expects others to respect and obey it's own law and be in good terms when Thailand itself does not even respect international law and continues to be arrogant and uncivilized toward its neighbours.
The ICJ decision of 1962 was clear in black and white. The Thai government may be able to fool its citizen regarding the verdict, but it can never fool the world. Let's review the decision once again:
"In its Judgment on the merits the Court, by nine votes to three, found that the Temple of Preah Vihear was situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia and, in consequence, that Thailand was under an obligation to withdraw any military or police forces, or other guards or keepers, stationed by her at the Temple, or in its vicinity on Cambodian territory."
For over eight hundred years, Thailand has an immense awe and insatiable appetite for anything Khmer. Over 40% of its current language contains Khmer words, as seen in common terms like (walk-เดิน, birth-กำเนิด, nose-จมูก, grandny-ยาย, comrade-สหาย, music-เพลง, soldier-ทหาร, road-ถนน, etc.). Its culture is a mirror image of Khmer. Many Thai Kings and Queens over hundreds of years had Khmer blood, not to mention its people, especially those in the north-eastern provinces. The inventor of the Thai writing system was King Ram Kamhaeng (1239-1298). He was a at least half Khmer. He devised 44 Thai scripts based on lower case Khmer alphabets. The Thai numerals are identical to Khmer. The royal traditions and royal language between the two kingdoms are almost identical. An interesting note to this is that Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda, 84, (the only daughter of His Majesty King Vajiravudh, Rama VI) is first cousin of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and third cousin with former King Norodom Sihanouk. Khuang Abhaiwong who was of Khmer descent served three terms as Thai prime minister (1944–45, 1946, 1947–48). The relationship of Thailand and Cambodia is very unique. One can say that it is a love/hate relationship. With so much similarity like kinship, it would be nice if we all can live in fraternal peace and harmony. The recent Thaksin appointment as an advisor to the royal government of Cambodia should be a symbolic solidarity of friendship between the two countries, and should not be regarded as negative thing as publicized by the Abhisit government. It was not something new that Cambodia had appointed foreign advisors. Lee Myung-Bak was also an economic advisor of Cambodia before he was elected president of South Korea. Thaksin had mentioned that if Cambodia is more prosperous, wouldn't it be also good for Thai exported goods? And this would be a step toward the ASEAN Economic Community of 2015. With all said, maybe Mr. Abhisit should consider cooling off and withdraw all troops from Khmer territory per ICJ verdict of 1962 before the war of words get out of hand and burst into a full-scale war. Ignorance of the law and greediness are not the way to go if we are to live in peace and prosperity for many generations to come.
website: http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php sum=284&code=ct&p1=3&p2=3&case=45&k=46&p3=5
---Khmer Surin
7 comments:
Well, it time for you Khmer Surin to wake up and look at yourself in the mirror when the WAR start turn your barrel back-ward toward Thai. Remember the Thai commander call you? "NOT THAI SOLDIER". Stop holding the Thai dick when the Thai a PEE.
And stop harassing your own Khmer People like during 1979, you know Khmer never forgive you for what you did back than....REMEMBER THAT, this time you have to proof that you're not a traitor.
I have no doubt that after Cambodia becomes more prosperous and stronger sooner than later, Khmers in both Northern Khmer (Northeast Thailand) and Kampuchea Krom (South Vietnam) will gladly join the rest of Khmers in Cambodia and around the world to become one great people once again because we all share the same rich cultural heritage that our forefarthers have left for us. Compared to other small countries around the world, we have several advantages over them. We are blessed with having beautiful landscapes with rich natural resources that we have not fully utilized, low population density, no real natural disasters except human made disasters such as wars and occassional floodings caused from tree cuttings, and a glorious empire that lerft many great stone monuments throughout Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos for all Khmers to be proud of. We don't need to falsify our own history, borrow someone else's culture, or steal someone else's land. With all the advantages mentioned above, there's no reason for us to continue to be an impoverished country if our leaders have the will to do the right thing for our nation. There's also a duty for each and everyone of us in bringing this dream into reality by never forgetting where we came from and contributing as much as and every which way we can in rebuilding our beloved motherland.
Wow133 I feel the same way you 110% true Khmer just like me but I do believe that pol pot is not to blame. I blame Khmer rouge.
Great analysis, Khmer Surin. Glad to see a Khmer Surin taking Cambodia's side and writing the truth about the Khmer-Thai relations.
Khmers never take Thai lands, only Thailand had taken large areas of Khmer lands in the past and even now.
Thank you Khmer Surin for standing up for Khmers in Thailand. Khmer Surin people have to take stand up like the Thailand's south so that Thailand give some respect to Khmer minority in Thailand. Khmer Surin people have been silent far too long and Khmer people almost cease to exist in Thailand. Now, that the society is more open, Khmers in Surin are attaching themselves to their root and they want justice and equal right to learn about their roots. Please keep this movement alive.
Khmer Australia,
Thank you to Khmer Surin for sharing the facts. Thailand is a selfish nation which they have always been for hundreds of years since after our great king Jayavarman 7's reign. We gave up Ayuthyia and Sukhotey because we wanted peace with them... then they keep asking for more and more until what we are today. Now they want Preah/Prah Vihear..... Well this time keep on dreaming because enough is enough. Buddha will not forgive you my friend....!! Ah LALEAY Thai...!!!
Khmer people around the world sincerely hope that Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Decho Hun Sen and his legal team educate themselves with some historical facts and study the ICJ verdict of June 15, 1962 carefully so that we don't encounter other unforseen problems in the legal battle with Thailand.
Notifying the World Court and the UN security council should have done the first day when Thai troops entered Cambodia. By delaying with deadlock bilateral talks, this causes a major misconception to the world that there is a border dispute and overlapping areas when in fact it was final at the verdict of June 15, 1962.
May the spirits of our ancestors protect Khmer people and land from all evil aggressions.
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