ANALYSIS: There's no light at the end of the tunnel.
Writer: Nattaya Chetchotiros
Published: 31/03/2011
Bangkok Post
It will be a long bumpy road for the government in dealing with issues surrounding the minutes of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission.
A major hurdle came yesterday when the Constitution Court threw out a petition seeking the court's ruling as to the status of the JBC minutes.
The court reasoned the petition submission was not in line with the regulations of petitioning the court to give a final ruling on a particular dispute under Sections 190 and 154 of the constitution.
The court also said more steps would have to be completed in parliament before a request for the court to give a final ruling on whether the JBC minutes could be lodged properly.
Led by Democrat MP for Songkhla Sirichoke Sopha, a group of about 80 MPs jointly submitted the petition to the court through Parliament Speaker Chai Chidchob.
Mr Sirichoke, who is also a close aide to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, believes that since the minutes were signed by both Thai and Cambodian officers, the documents should be regarded as an international treaty under Section 190 of the constitution.
Before the court made its decision not to consider the documents yesterday, Mr Sirichoke still hoped the court would consider the petition and rule on the case to end arguments over the status of the JBC minutes.
The court decision to not consider the petition for the time being came as a major blow to the Foreign Ministry as well. The ministry wants the minutes of the three JBC meetings to be approved by parliament as soon as possible, to prove to Cambodia that Thailand was not dragging its feet over the JBC documents issue.
If the documents are still left without parliamentary approval, Cambodia will likely press ahead with its intention to use a multilateral mechanism to settle the border conflict.
The effort to seek parliamentary approval on the JBC minutes began in August last year. But the same problem of lacking a quorum happened over and over.
In deputy government chief whip Wirat Kalayasiri's view, the JBC issue itself was complicated and those MPs who might have failed to catch up with the development of the issue could not truly understand it.
And since it is also a political problem between the two nations, many members of parliament could easily be deterred by the assertion from the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy that to acknowledge the JBC minutes would be tantamount to giving the Thai territory to Cambodia.
As a result, many MPs do not dare raise their hands to approve of the JBC documents, especially during a time when a new general election is expected soon.
Under the circumstances, the parliament's decision on the JBC minutes is likely to be delayed until the end of April because most MPs still do not understand the issue.
Neither do they realise what could be the possible advantages and disadvantages of approving the JBC minutes.
Published: 31/03/2011
Bangkok Post
It will be a long bumpy road for the government in dealing with issues surrounding the minutes of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission.
A major hurdle came yesterday when the Constitution Court threw out a petition seeking the court's ruling as to the status of the JBC minutes.
The court reasoned the petition submission was not in line with the regulations of petitioning the court to give a final ruling on a particular dispute under Sections 190 and 154 of the constitution.
The court also said more steps would have to be completed in parliament before a request for the court to give a final ruling on whether the JBC minutes could be lodged properly.
Led by Democrat MP for Songkhla Sirichoke Sopha, a group of about 80 MPs jointly submitted the petition to the court through Parliament Speaker Chai Chidchob.
Mr Sirichoke, who is also a close aide to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, believes that since the minutes were signed by both Thai and Cambodian officers, the documents should be regarded as an international treaty under Section 190 of the constitution.
Before the court made its decision not to consider the documents yesterday, Mr Sirichoke still hoped the court would consider the petition and rule on the case to end arguments over the status of the JBC minutes.
The court decision to not consider the petition for the time being came as a major blow to the Foreign Ministry as well. The ministry wants the minutes of the three JBC meetings to be approved by parliament as soon as possible, to prove to Cambodia that Thailand was not dragging its feet over the JBC documents issue.
If the documents are still left without parliamentary approval, Cambodia will likely press ahead with its intention to use a multilateral mechanism to settle the border conflict.
The effort to seek parliamentary approval on the JBC minutes began in August last year. But the same problem of lacking a quorum happened over and over.
In deputy government chief whip Wirat Kalayasiri's view, the JBC issue itself was complicated and those MPs who might have failed to catch up with the development of the issue could not truly understand it.
And since it is also a political problem between the two nations, many members of parliament could easily be deterred by the assertion from the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy that to acknowledge the JBC minutes would be tantamount to giving the Thai territory to Cambodia.
As a result, many MPs do not dare raise their hands to approve of the JBC documents, especially during a time when a new general election is expected soon.
Under the circumstances, the parliament's decision on the JBC minutes is likely to be delayed until the end of April because most MPs still do not understand the issue.
Neither do they realise what could be the possible advantages and disadvantages of approving the JBC minutes.
2 comments:
While Thai MP try to understand the issue of JBC documents,I suggest Thai people try to understand their own national anthem,I will help to expand the meaning in the brackets.
" Thailand embraces in its bosom all people of Thai blood.[Thai blood only,not people who originally belonged to Thai neighbors then captured by Thais and now live in Surin,Sa Keo,Buriram...Chiang Mai, Yala, Narathiwath etc..]
Every inch of Thailand [that Thai stole from Khmer,Mon,Lao,Burma,Mallacca]belongs to the Thais [temporarily until the rightful owner take them back].
It has long maintained its sovereignty
because the Thais have always been
united [actually been oppressed and deceived but now split into Red,Yellow,white,green and so on] .
The Thai people are peace-loving [and all Thai neighbors raise middle finger to disprove this false claim]
But there are no cowards at war [then no need to spend 6 billion US $ annually to buy weapon if Thais are such daring]
They shall allow no one
To rob them of their independence.[Thailand is a self colonial country,the South,the North and Northeast are colonized by the Central Bangkok].
Nor shall they suffer tyranny.[no country on earth now is still in a colonial state except the so called Thailand,but hey..the exploit class in Bangkok loves it soooo much].
All Thais are ready to give up
Every drop of blood for the nation's
Safety, freedom and progress.[great go ahead and be brave like Tunisian,Egyptian,Libyan etc..and rid yourself for once and for all off the damn whoever bring you into this predicament!]"
What a simultaneous pity and great laugh for some Thai MPs!.Bangkok Post just wants to convey the message and admits that Thai politicians are no good. They only know how to start fire but when fire spread they call for the constitutional court engine to come to the rescue!. Thai people need new kind and style of leadership to help contain this embarrassment.
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