A Change of Guard

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Tuesday 15 February 2011

UN Security Council withholds direct involvement in temple conflict

Feb 14, 2011
By JT Nguyen
DPA

New York - The UN Security Council on Monday asked South- East Asian nations to work out a solution to the Thai-Cambodian conflict over the site of a centuries-old Hindu temple, in an apparent rebuff of demands for the UN to become directly involved.

The council gave support to 'active efforts' of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has scheduled a ministerial meeting later this month in Jakarta to seek a settlement, including a permanent ceasefire along the Thai-Cambodian border.

Some Security Council members had considered fresh Thai-Cambodian fighting near the 1,000-year-old Hindu Preah Vihear Temple a matter between the two countries and not an issue of international peace and security requiring its intervention. Both Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers, who appeared before the council in New York, agreed that ASEAN is the third party to mediate the conflict.

'The members of the UN Security Council expressed their grave concern about the recent armed clashes between Cambodia and Thailand,' Brazilian Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, the council president, said in a statement following the meeting.

Viotti said the council called on both sides to exercise 'maximum restraint and avoid any action that may aggravate the situation.'

'The members of the Security Council further urged the parties to establish a permanent ceasefire and to implement it fully and resolve the situation peacefully and through effective dialogue,' Viotti said.

She told reporters that the council meeting was aimed at supporting 'bilateral and regional mediation efforts' rather than involving the council in the conflict resolution.

'The idea is to work in synergy with regional efforts, and right now regional effort is in full force,' Viotti said.

She noted that Thai and Cambodian officials each showed maps to the council to defend their cases and the geographical circumstances that had led to the fighting.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters that the council meeting gave him 'much more optimism' than before he came to New York.

He said both Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong had 'loudly and clearly' voiced support for dialogue and a peaceful resolution during the closed-door meeting.

Natalegawa said there was 'clear support' by council members and the two parties for dialogue, a permanent ceasefire and the ASEAN role in the conflict. He said currently the ceasefire is holding.

'The issue here is to extract a clear commitment from Thailand and Cambodia for a peaceful resolution,' Natalegawa said, indicating that the ASEAN meeting would put pressure on the two countries to accept a resolution. He said Kasit and Hor had 'professed peaceful intent' before the council and that Jakarta should 'flesh it out.'

Kasit told reporters at UN headquarters that his country and Cambodia have 'so much in common' that they should resolve the conflict and move on. Thailand has provided development assistance to Cambodia and will continue to do so, he said.

'We did not shoot first - we responded,' Kasit said.

He denied that Thai troops had used cluster bombs against Cambodia.

But Hor Namhong accused Thailand of 'aggression,' saying that military experts had evidence that cluster munitions were used, in violation of an international convention banning the practise.

Hor, who last week sent a letter demanding Security Council intervention in the fighting, said after the meeting that ASEAN will be the third-party mediator in the conflict.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated the Preah Vihear Temple a World Heritage site in 2008. The bone of contention remains the 4.6-square-kilometre plot of land near the site, which is claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, but said nothing about the land. UNESCO's decision to give international status to the temple in 2008 fueled the dispute between the two countries.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

come alway the to the UN and still turn back down by the UN. Well, khmer just so tiny and can't even see on the maps who would help us? who can help a helpless khmer solve this problem? NO ONE, NO ONE CARE. If the 4 round start who do we blame? UN? and UN still look good after all.....

Anonymous said...

UN aware that Cambodia has borders problems not just in the West but Eastern side as well. By deferring to ASEAN to mediate this matter,
Thailand can point out to all ASEAN members that the Eastern side should discuss as well. Right now Thai is jealous of the fact that: If the Vietnam can take a lot of land from Cambodia why Thailand can not do the same.
UN wants ASEAN expose all the facts about Cambodia problems and solve them regionally first. Thailand will become Khmer savior if she dare to point out that,hey look what's going on on the East side. May be that was the intention Thai has all along because Phnom Penh government not dare to say anything regarding to Eastern border. Thailand once said after the dust settle everyone will know who the good guy, who the bad guy and who is the stooge in the middle.I do not think Thailand wants 4.6km2. Thailand has more than enough land for many Thais generations to come.

Anonymous said...

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 transparency explain to cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?

Cambodian army 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 army you are decide the fade 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 billionairs, millionairs 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 with planty of natural resources ) in education program?

Anonymous said...

Valentine 's day is the day that all boys and girls making love to each other to show how deep are their love. Usually they don't use protection at all.

Valentine day is the day that all most khmer girls lost their virginity to their classmates or the boys next door.

All most 75% of cambodian teenage girl students are lost their virginity at valintine day of the year.

Most khmer girls think that valentine day is the day that they must sacrify their virginity to their lover at school.

We like to see more young cambodians have more fun in sexual relationship with their partners or friend at school because Khmer need more love.

Young cambodian generation at school should pratice for sex with their friends to grow more love in our country as well as more population.

Don't be shy young cambodian generation, even in our Angkor people promoted more sex than ever such as they respect Hindu God Penis and his wife Vagina. They used milk to pour over the penis and clean the vagina than hey drink that milk as holy water.

At that Angkor time all teenager girls are topless and naked shower with their boy mates as history told by the chinese guy at that time.

Anonymous said...

Thai military send heap of skillful snipers to Cambodia. I hope they don't aim at innocent khmers.

They use MK 248 MOD 1 .300 Winchester Magnum,M24A2 and many more modern sniper guns with sound of silence.

I heard thai soldiers said not less than 300 snipers already in PP.