A Change of Guard

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Friday 11 March 2011

Thailand non-committal to joining proposed border meeting with Cambodia: FM

Dr. Marty flanked by Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong to the left and Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to the right after the Asean meeting on Cambodian-Thai conflict when both countries agreed to the deployment of Indonesian observers. However, the 30 Indonesian observers won't be deployed until after the Cambodian-Thai meeting on 24-25 March, more than a month after the deployment was originally agreed.

By Sinfah Tunsarawuth

BANGKOK, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Thailand has been non-committal to joining meetings with Cambodia later this month as proposed by Indonesia to discuss the two countries' border dispute, according to a Thai Foreign Ministry statement.

Meanwhile, the nationalistic "yellow-shirt" People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) on Thursday submitted a letter to the Indonesian ambassador in Bangkok in protesting against a planned Indonesian observer mission to the Thai-Cambodian disputed border.

PAD said in the letter that the coming of the Indonesian observers would amount to "a foreign military operation to control Thai military operations defending Thai sovereignty, which has been deliberately violated by Cambodia."

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, the current ASEAN chair, has proposed that Thailand and Cambodia meet later this month to solve their border dispute under the existing General Border Committee (GBC), co-chaired by the defense ministers of both nations, and separately under Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC), co-chaired by the two countries' senior officials, according to media reports.

Natalegawa made the proposal in a letter sent on Wednesday to Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and other ASEAN foreign ministers. The GBC and JBC meetings were proposed on March 24-25 in Bogor, Indonesia.

Natalegawa also said in the letter that Cambodia has responded positively to the Terms of Reference (TOR) in sending the Indonesian observers.

"I am looking forward to hearing positive responses from Thailand," he was quoted as saying in his letter.

The sending of Indonesian observers was a result of the informal meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of South East Asian Nations on Feb. 22 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said in the statement on Thursday that: "Thailand welcomes Cambodia's readiness to attend the said meetings as it has all along been trying to convene bilateral negotiations with Cambodia."

Thani said the proposed GBC meeting would allow the two countries to discuss the TOR of the Indonesian observers.

However, he said in regard to the GBC meeting, "details with regard to the dates, venue and appropriate engagement of Indonesia remain matters to be discussed further."

He continued: "It is noted that at this juncture Cambodia has proposed that Indonesia attend the opening ceremony, and that, after the conclusion of the said meeting, both countries would share its outcome with Indonesia."

For the JBC meeting, Thani said Thailand had wanted to hold such a meeting in February "a proposal which Cambodia had first agreed to in principle before subsequently changing its position."

He continued: "However, it had been the Cambodian side which maintained that the three draft agreed minutes of the previous JBC meetings be approved by the Thai Parliament first before the said meeting could be convened."

A joint sitting of the House of Representatives and Senate is expected to deliberate and vote on the three draft minutes, seen as agreements that could affect Thai territory, later this month.

Thani's statement did not say clearly whether Thailand was prepared to join the GBC and JBC meetings on March 24-25 in Bogor.

PAD, which has been protesting against the government on its alleged mishandling of the Thai-Cambodian border dispute since Jan. 25, said in its letter to the Indonesian ambassador that the proposed sending of the Indonesian observers would not comply with the bilateral arrangement of Thailand and Cambodia on solving the border dispute, which is involved with a 4.6-square kilometer piece of land around the Preah Vihear temple.

The PAD letter also said the TOR of Indonesian observers could be seen as an agreement that would alter Thailand's sovereign border and, hence, require an approval from the bicameral parliament first.

In launching its rally in January, PAD wanted the Thai government to scrap the existing memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Thailand and Cambodia in 2000 as the framework for settling the two countries' border dispute.

They also urged the government to move out Cambodians who are occupying the disputed areas, and to pull out as a party to the World Heritage Convention, under which the Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as a World Heritage site by Cambodia in July 2008.
Editor: yan

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thailand hesitated and kept delaying, they don't like Asean sending observers to the disputed area, because Thai don't want the world to know about their bad behavoir toward its neighbors...If you are a pig, don't affraid the hot waters...Abhishit vejjajiva!!

Anonymous said...

First Thailand agree with Asean Team, OK! to send observers, now they delaying...?

Anonymous said...

Yep, you can see Siems true color now. Like I said earlier, a high profile western diplomat once said "Thai are not trustworthy." You cannot take Siems at face value. This shows Siem paranoia inferior complex. The reason the Siems don't want Khmer to develope was its feeling of inferior complex. Our Empire was regard as sacred back in ancient time. Everything Khmers the Siem admired. They had been living in a shadow of themselves for over 100 years now due to Khmer dark age. Once we become develope, the Siem will feel inferior again because everything Siems have is a by product of Khmers. They have to label us as uncivilized, jungle, unsoficticated people. That is the product of inferior complex.

Anonymous said...

As usual and always, Thailand is stalling the talks, even with ASEAN involvement. Whether bilaterally or multilaterally, Thailand is fearful of talking. It's facing a no win-win situation. This is the PAD greatest fear. As soon as Thailand start talking and negotiating, something is losing. This is why Thailand prefers going to war with Cambodia hoping to gain something and use that as a bait for negotiation down the line.

Anonymous said...

Thailand has something to hide. Thailand is not trustworthy, one minute it said it will accept observers and now its is non-committal. This is Thai true color- very dishonest.

Anonymous said...

Every Khmers know the word
ភូត(phu:t)means and we hate it,but to Thais it's their way of life! low life of course.

Anonymous said...

All cambodian soldiers must keep on alert at all time! Thailand may try to take some spot in 4.6km before Asean Team arrival...Thailand want to gain vote from people in election coming up also....becareful my cambodian fellas!