Cambodia Strikes Again

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Updated: 10 August 2010

Source: Thai-Asia Network News

While activists from civic groups were holding talks with government representatives on a live television debate on how to deal with Cambodia's encroachment on Thailand's territory surrounding the Preah Vihear Temple, the Cambodian government was mounting another diplomatic maneuver by trying to convince some international organizations to take its side.

Phnom Penh must have been worrying that its citizens will be expelled from the 4.6 kilometer square of the disputed land once the disagreement on the issue among the Thai population is resolved.

This has put a new burden on the Thai government, who has to come up with a new diplomatic and military strategy in order to gain the upper hand in the cross-border negotiation, in which Cambodia has been wining concessions recently. This also means that that Thailand will have to conduct negotiations with the Cambodian government and international organizations must not be left behind.

Also, it will not be easy to resume talks with Phnom Penh, who has been claiming that the disputed land belong to Cambodia, as sanctioned by many international organizations including UNESCO, who has already listed the disputed temple and the surrounding land as part of a World Heritage site.

After the televised discussion session has concluded, Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen has sent a letter to the president of the United Nations Assembly and United Nations Security Council, protesting against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for saying that the memorandum of understanding signed between Thailand and Cambodia could be revoked and Bangkok will use diplomacy along with military force in settling the border dispute.

According to the letter sent to the UN by the Cambodian government, Thailand is in violation of the International Court of Justice's verdict handed down on 1962, which has awarded the ownership of the temple to Cambodia, by deploying its military forces only 300 meters away from the borderline. The Cambodian premier also says that Thailand's threat of the use of force is considered to be a violation of the UN Charter's Article 2.3 and 2.4. Moreover, Hun Sen has asked the president of the UN Security Council to circulate the letter to all member countries, aiming to embarrass Thailand.

It will not be easy for Thailand to deal with the issue through diplomacy or military force, for that matter, because Cambodia is experienced in making its grievances known to a global forums. Phnom Penh has been attempting to turn the international community against Thailand without considering the assistance Thailand had given to it in the past or the sake of the cross-border relationship. Instead, Cambodia has been greedily trying to steal Thailand's natural resources on land and in the sea. It has also arrogantly, appointed a fugitive criminal wanted by the Thai authority to be its national economic adviser. The Thai government must view this as an urgent matter to prevent Thailand from losing its sovereignty over the land in which has historically and geographically belonged to Thailand.

Taken from Editorial Section, Kom Chad Leuk Newspaper, Page 4, August 10, 2010

Translated and Rewritten by Kongkrai Maksrivorawan