Temple row calls for calm heads, says Kasit

Aerial view of Preah Vihear temple.

Published: 21/08/2010
Bangkok Post

Thailand wants to solve its border conflict with Cambodia through bilateral agreements and international law, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya reaffirms.

He set out the government's position yesterday in a letter to Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem. Vietnam chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Mr Kasit has also sent the letter to other Asean foreign ministers to clarify the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

On Tuesday, Vietnam wrote to the government seeking Thailand's views after Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong called for Asean to intervene in the dispute, which concerns the overlapping boundary area near the Preah Vihear temple.

Cambodia has warned the disagreement could escalate into armed conflict.

Mr Kasit argued in the letter that there was room for the two countries to discuss the issue.

"With continued understanding from our Asean colleagues, Thailand and Cambodia will succeed in overcoming the bilateral challenge for the mutual benefits of the two countries and peoples in the spirit of good neighbourliness and Asean solidarity," he said.

The diplomatic tension did not affect other cooperation between the countries including border trade and regional cooperation schemes.

Thailand remained committed to exercising the utmost restraint, he said.

He confirmed to other Asean members that Thailand had no intention of delaying consideration of the three agreed minutes of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC).

The Foreign Ministry has resubmitted the agreed minutes of recent meetings of the JBC to parliament for approval in line with the constitution.

The matter is now with parliament and will proceed in accordance with the democratic process, Mr Kasit said.

"This should not be construed as an intention to delay consideration of these three agreed minutes," said the minister.

They were not included in the present joint parliamentary meeting as too many other issues had to be discussed.

The next round of the JBC will take place only after the agreed minutes of the last meetings are approved.

The main issues at the meetings were the decision by the two countries to survey border areas, including those near the Preah Vihear temple, and to start to make aerial maps of the border.

Earlier, some senators and activists threatened to protest if the Foreign Ministry submitted the JBC documents to parliament for endorsement.

Critics said support for the memo could be interpreted as Thailand agreeing to cooperate with Cambodia to base border demarcation on a map drafted by colonial-era France which he said put Thailand at a disadvantage.

The Thai-Cambodian relationship turned sour after Thailand opposed Phnom Penh's management plan for Preah Vihear temple proposed to the World Heritage Committee meeting in Brazil last month.

The WHC decided to postpone consideration of the matter until its next annual meeting in Bahrain.

Cambodia is seeking help from international organisations including the United Nations and Asean to intervene.

Meanwhile, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said he is ready to hold talks with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on the issue, the Phnom Penh Post quoted a spokesman for the Cambodian Foreign Ministry Koy Koung as saying.

Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan has suggested the two leaders meet to discuss the countries' differences.