People's Daily Online
February 20, 2011
Cambodian and Thai border row near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple could harm the efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) toward a community by 2015, said analysts here on Saturday.
"ASEAN will be difficult to achieve its security community by 2015 if it cannot mediate to resolve the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand," Dr. Chheang Vannarith (pictured), executive director of Cambodian Institute of Cooperation and Peace, said in an interview with Xinhua on Saturday.
ASEAN will have communities including economic, security, and socio-cultural ones.
"By 2015, I believe that it can achieve only the economic community and social and cultural community," he said.
However, he said that it depends on ASEAN itself if it will create any new mechanism to resolve dispute or not.
The ASEAN's foreign ministers will hold a meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on Feb. 22 to discuss the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.
"Now we wait and see the result of the upcoming meeting," he said."It can be a turning-point for ASEAN if it decides to establish an effective mechanism of dispute resolution for its members."
The dispute between Cambodia and Thailand is the first time that ASEAN meets, so it can be an experiment for ASEAN.
"If ASEAN has no any resolution or measure on this dispute, the ASEAN's security community will be worthless," he said.
Cambodia is expected to ask Thailand to sign a permanent ceasefire under the witness of ASEAN chair or representative during the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting, and it will also ask ASEAN observers to come to the disputed areas to ensure the permanent cease-fire.
Sok Touch, deputy director general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia's International Relations Institute, said that Cambodia' s suggestions will be failed.
"It will not be successful, I guest. Currently, Thailand increases its military forces in order to put pressure on Cambodia to return to bilateral negotiation table," he said.
"Thai government uses the issue of Preah Vihear temple to treat its internal conflict," he said. "Also, Thai's war against Cambodia is for budget--when there is war, Thai government led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, will be able to withdraw budget from its national coffer easily and legally."
"Another reason, Abhisit uses the war against Cambodia as his excuse to postpone the election in Thailand," he added.
Cambodia and Thailand have had border conflict just a week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.
The conflict is due to Thai claim of the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the temple, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.
The latest clashes on Feb. 4-7, unleashed a barrage of artillery shells on both sides of the border, had killed and wounded some soldiers and citizens of both sides, and also caused tens of thousands of the two countries' villagers nearby the disputed areas fleeing for safe shelters.
The United Nations Security Council on Monday urged Cambodia and Thailand to display maximum restraint and to establish a permanent ceasefire. It also expressed support for the active efforts of ASEAN in the matter and encouraged the parties to continue to cooperate with the organization.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: Xinhua
Cambodian and Thai border row near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple could harm the efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) toward a community by 2015, said analysts here on Saturday.
"ASEAN will be difficult to achieve its security community by 2015 if it cannot mediate to resolve the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand," Dr. Chheang Vannarith (pictured), executive director of Cambodian Institute of Cooperation and Peace, said in an interview with Xinhua on Saturday.
ASEAN will have communities including economic, security, and socio-cultural ones.
"By 2015, I believe that it can achieve only the economic community and social and cultural community," he said.
However, he said that it depends on ASEAN itself if it will create any new mechanism to resolve dispute or not.
The ASEAN's foreign ministers will hold a meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on Feb. 22 to discuss the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.
"Now we wait and see the result of the upcoming meeting," he said."It can be a turning-point for ASEAN if it decides to establish an effective mechanism of dispute resolution for its members."
The dispute between Cambodia and Thailand is the first time that ASEAN meets, so it can be an experiment for ASEAN.
"If ASEAN has no any resolution or measure on this dispute, the ASEAN's security community will be worthless," he said.
Cambodia is expected to ask Thailand to sign a permanent ceasefire under the witness of ASEAN chair or representative during the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting, and it will also ask ASEAN observers to come to the disputed areas to ensure the permanent cease-fire.
Sok Touch, deputy director general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia's International Relations Institute, said that Cambodia' s suggestions will be failed.
"It will not be successful, I guest. Currently, Thailand increases its military forces in order to put pressure on Cambodia to return to bilateral negotiation table," he said.
"Thai government uses the issue of Preah Vihear temple to treat its internal conflict," he said. "Also, Thai's war against Cambodia is for budget--when there is war, Thai government led by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, will be able to withdraw budget from its national coffer easily and legally."
"Another reason, Abhisit uses the war against Cambodia as his excuse to postpone the election in Thailand," he added.
Cambodia and Thailand have had border conflict just a week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.
The conflict is due to Thai claim of the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the temple, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in the deaths of troops on both sides.
The latest clashes on Feb. 4-7, unleashed a barrage of artillery shells on both sides of the border, had killed and wounded some soldiers and citizens of both sides, and also caused tens of thousands of the two countries' villagers nearby the disputed areas fleeing for safe shelters.
The United Nations Security Council on Monday urged Cambodia and Thailand to display maximum restraint and to establish a permanent ceasefire. It also expressed support for the active efforts of ASEAN in the matter and encouraged the parties to continue to cooperate with the organization.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: Xinhua
1 comment:
Why do Kos Trol, sea and lands proximately over 10 000 km2 have been lost to Vietnam by who treaty? Why don’t Cambodia goverment transparencies explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 and what's about over 10 000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Kos Trol, Sea and lands over 10 000km2 have been lost to Vietnam by who treaty at 1979 to 1985 treaty! Treaty! Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protect a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group rather in the real name of protecting Khmer nation?
Cambodian army at front line suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition, their families have no health care help, no securities after they die but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning with young girls message, have super health care from oversea medical treatment, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make Cambodian people suffer everyday as Cambodian people know already.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that result lost over 10 000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why don't they transparency inform all Cambodian and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't include Kos Trol (Kos Trol size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapoor with heap of great natural resources) in education system in Cambodia.
Look at Hun Sen families, relatives; friends are billionaires, millionaires where do they get the money from if we all just get out of war with empty hands? Hun Sen always say in his speech Cambodia just get up from war, just get up from Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% innocent Cambodian people are so poor struggling with living every day.
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
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