EDITORIAL Welcome overtures

5/09/2010 at 12:00 AM

Source: Bangkok Post

The news released by Prime Minister's Office Minister Ong-art Klampaibul on Friday that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would meet his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept 24 is most welcome, and shows a strengthening of the recent trend that has seen diplomatic relations thawing between the two countries. Mr Ong-art made the announcement upon his return from Cambodia, where he reportedly met and had talks with Hun Sen for about an hour.

The news of the PM's upcoming face-to-face follows on the heels of the reinstatement of the ambassadors for both countries and the normalisation of diplomatic ties.

The ambassadors had been recalled in a tit-for-tat fashion following the appointment of fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra as Hun Sen's economic adviser last November. The reinstatement was a consequence of Thaksin's decision to quit the post.

Although the current state of relations is not quite jovial, it is a big improvement from the low point reached in late July after the contention over Cambodia's management plan for the Preah Vihear temple proposed to the World Heritage Committee at the WHC's annual meeting, held in Brasilia this year. Even before this the back and forth between the two countries was quite honestly making both sides look petulant and even childish.

While both sides deserve blame for the lack of diplomatic maturity, it was clearly the Cambodian PM's ill-advised appointment of Thaksin that set the stage for the worst of it. He could not have been unaware that taking on a fugitive from the Thai justice system, and one who is still greatly admired by the opposition to the present government, would provoke hostility from the Abhisit government. The fact that he announced his plan to appoint Thaksin as his economic adviser with great fanfare to a media horde as soon as he arrived at the Hua Hin airport to attend the 15th Asean summit, the first hosted by Thailand, is proof that provocation was his intent.

It can only be assumed that the reason for these actions was that Hun Sen was expecting Thaksin to regain power. The recent formal disassociation with Thaksin shows that he has reassessed the political situation in Thailand.

Mr Ong-art reported on Friday that the Cambodian prime minister said that Mr Abhisit should not be discouraged by criticism about his early rise to become prime minister.

''He has voiced confidence that Mr Abhisit will stay in the post for a long time and that the prime minister has grown stronger and proved his leadership skills,'' Mr Ong-art said.

Now is the time for Mr Abhisit to display these leadership skills. It might be tempting for him to hold a grudge against the Cambodian PM for the obvious attempts to humiliate his government, but Mr Abhisit would do much better to accept Hun Sen's peace offering and make moves to strengthen the natural ties between the two countries.

This, of course, will have to start with a negotiated agreement over the Preah Vihear temple. Indications are that this will be a prime topic between the two men in New York.

Mr Ong-art said he explained the legal requirements of the Thai side in the bilateral Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) to Hun Sen. A boundary agreement is key to resolving the dispute over the Preah Vihear buffer zone. A JBC meeting is scheduled for the coming week in Bangkok, but there is speculation it will be postponed until after the two leaders meet in New York.

Mr Abhisit may well also need to show his leadership skills in dealing with the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). The PAD has capitalised on the Preah Vihear issue by stoking nationalist sentiments and adding unnecessary tension to the situation. If the PAD persists in this course and creates obstacles to a fair settlement, then Mr Abhisit must show he can act independently and in the best interests of the country.

These interests very much include good relations with Cambodia. It is important that cooperative frameworks are put in place in many areas, especially economic and environmental, as Cambodia opens itself up to tourism and foreign investment. The two countries share a long border that will be getting busier and busier in the coming years. They also share the Gulf of Thailand, which besides having some of the world's best beaches, is also reported to have large undersea oil reserves.