The spectacular aerial view of Preah Vihear temple.By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation
Published on April 13, 2011
The latest statement from Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in relation to posting Indonesian observers at the disputed area near Preah Vihear Temple clearly reflects that it is the military, not the government, that controls Thailand's foreign policy toward Cambodia.
On his weekly talk show, Abhisit said his government had taken the same stance as the military - to not allow Indonesian observers to be |stationed on the 4.6 square kilometres area near the temple, which Thailand believes comes under its sovereignty.
Nobody should have a problem if the area in question really belongs to Thailand. If the area is truly under Thai sovereignty, then it has the right to decide who does or does not enter it. In reality though, this piece of land is being claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia, and it sits at the core of the conflict between both neighbours.
The Thai military just raised the issue as a tactic to defer the observation. If the observers are kept out of the disputed area, they will have no knowledge of what really happens. This would make the Indonesia-proposed peace plan meaningless and allow the military to scrap it.
The government was wrong in believing that it has full mandate on the foreign policy involving Cambodia when it authorised the Foreign Ministry to make a deal with Indonesia and Cambodia in February, during which it was decided that observers would be stationed at Preah Vihear to monitor a permanent ceasefire.
Indonesia, as chair of Asean, has to lend a hand in resolving the conflict because Phnom Penh took the February border skirmish to the United Nations Security Council. The Security Council then asked Asean to implement a permanent ceasefire.
Initially, having unarmed Indonesian observers monitoring the border situation sounded fine. Many government officials even claimed |that this was a diplomatic victory to prevent aggressive acts from the |other side.
However, this sweet victory turned into a bitter pill a week later when the military disagreed with the idea of stationing observers, saying involving a third party was unnecessary.
Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who represents the military rather than the government, previously tried to use diplomatic means to defer the deal saying he needed to discuss the terms of reference (TOR) with his Cambodian counterpart in the General Border Commission (GBC). However, when Indonesia called a meeting of the GBC and the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in Bogor last week, the Thai military, in a very undiplomatic response, simply refused to go.
The government pretended to honour the deal that it had already agreed upon and tried to explain that Thailand needed more time to study and negotiate the TOR, when in reality it already had more than a month to read and study the proposal.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya should have been the one taking care of negotiations with Indonesia and the TOR on observers. Dealing with other countries is his job, not that of the military. As the foreign minister of an elected government, Kasit has the authority to make deals with other countries and honour them.
The Army should only be consulted on technical matters, such as the terrain in the area and whether it is safe from landmines. If the case of foreign observers is a policy matter, then it's the government's call to make the decision.
The latest statement from Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in relation to posting Indonesian observers at the disputed area near Preah Vihear Temple clearly reflects that it is the military, not the government, that controls Thailand's foreign policy toward Cambodia.
On his weekly talk show, Abhisit said his government had taken the same stance as the military - to not allow Indonesian observers to be |stationed on the 4.6 square kilometres area near the temple, which Thailand believes comes under its sovereignty.
Nobody should have a problem if the area in question really belongs to Thailand. If the area is truly under Thai sovereignty, then it has the right to decide who does or does not enter it. In reality though, this piece of land is being claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia, and it sits at the core of the conflict between both neighbours.
The Thai military just raised the issue as a tactic to defer the observation. If the observers are kept out of the disputed area, they will have no knowledge of what really happens. This would make the Indonesia-proposed peace plan meaningless and allow the military to scrap it.
The government was wrong in believing that it has full mandate on the foreign policy involving Cambodia when it authorised the Foreign Ministry to make a deal with Indonesia and Cambodia in February, during which it was decided that observers would be stationed at Preah Vihear to monitor a permanent ceasefire.
Indonesia, as chair of Asean, has to lend a hand in resolving the conflict because Phnom Penh took the February border skirmish to the United Nations Security Council. The Security Council then asked Asean to implement a permanent ceasefire.
Initially, having unarmed Indonesian observers monitoring the border situation sounded fine. Many government officials even claimed |that this was a diplomatic victory to prevent aggressive acts from the |other side.
However, this sweet victory turned into a bitter pill a week later when the military disagreed with the idea of stationing observers, saying involving a third party was unnecessary.
Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who represents the military rather than the government, previously tried to use diplomatic means to defer the deal saying he needed to discuss the terms of reference (TOR) with his Cambodian counterpart in the General Border Commission (GBC). However, when Indonesia called a meeting of the GBC and the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in Bogor last week, the Thai military, in a very undiplomatic response, simply refused to go.
The government pretended to honour the deal that it had already agreed upon and tried to explain that Thailand needed more time to study and negotiate the TOR, when in reality it already had more than a month to read and study the proposal.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya should have been the one taking care of negotiations with Indonesia and the TOR on observers. Dealing with other countries is his job, not that of the military. As the foreign minister of an elected government, Kasit has the authority to make deals with other countries and honour them.
The Army should only be consulted on technical matters, such as the terrain in the area and whether it is safe from landmines. If the case of foreign observers is a policy matter, then it's the government's call to make the decision.
6 comments:
The editors of this articles his hometown is right in the front line he's really respect PM hun sen I watched he had an interview on the Thai national TV quote" this is the 21 century not only Thailand have the guns Cambodia also have guns don't Thai think just walk over Cambodia ,fighting for territory is out of dates what ever happen with treaty we like or not is biding we have to solve peacefully lesson have been learn from Thai Laos war what we got from fighting is losing at the end we to come to negotiation table why don't we start negotiates now why let a lots people dies and we come back to the negotiation table no body in the 21 century use force to solve the border issues any more."
He also comment ( every time his excellency Hun sen warn Thailand we think PM hun sen bluffs but his excellency never bluffs things always happen and Thai never learn and Thai should learn from his excellency).
He also warn Thailand "Thailand fighting the losing battle why Cambodia have treaty 1904-1907 ICJ ruling and have more friendly countries than Thailand PM hun sen known Thai politics know how Thai thinking what Thai know about Cambodia nothing much".
If any Khmer cam understand Thai should watched this clips the editor of this article :
http://www.youtube.com/user/KOMCHADLUEK#p/u/128/8qnkXd_KArM
http://www.youtube.com/user/KOMCHADLUEK#p/u/127/aANqcBAEIxo
the first clip is the editor of the this article and
the second clip very interesting
the lady professor is the next best thing you can get .
He wrote a few articles about the conflicts in one article he wrote ( if the temple was award to Cambodia the common sense say the land surrounding the temple also award to Cambodia unless state otherwise) .
Non-bias and fact.
I read many articles written by Supalak Ganjanakhundee. They are very objective and very fair, but also very correct historically. He is one of the most objective and fair Thai journalists regarding the Preah Vihear issue.
We should give credits to this gentleman take a lot of courage in the country like Thailand to write this sort of articles and he might end up in the steel cages in the name of traitor (the true can kill).
I doubted if there is any honor among the thieves.
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