I agree with the author, however the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is not the main problem here. Cambodia has faith in the ICJ that is why it went to the ICJ for justice. Although the ruling is questionable, but if it means saving lives, at least Cambodia has some senses to accept it for the sake of Khmer and Thai lives.
The ICJ's push for ASEAN to be in charge of implementing and enforcing the ICJ's ruling is a grave concern due to the lack of leadership in the past from the Asean chair, Dr. Marty Natalegawa, the foreign minister of Indonesia. Dr. Marty had canceled his trip to Cambodia and Thailand in the past when the situation along the border of these two countries got heated.
Thailand doesn't have any respect for ASEAN under Indonesia's leadership. I remembered Dr. Marty had canceled his trip in the last minutes and he came up with the same lame excuses not the come and allowed both countries killed each others. Actually, both countries decided not to shoot up any more that is why we have this temporary ceasefire until the ICJ ruling because ASEAN didn't do anything to stop or prevent the armed clashes.
We can continue to blame Thailand for noncompliance because of their extreme People's Alliance for Democracy's (PAD) view and ideology or blame Thailand for the aggression. Who will stop Thailand? Cambodia has no choice but to fight back, like it or not. I don't see any change in Thailand's behavior thus far and we can only hope and pray for the next government to help find peace. My hope is that the next Thai government has the independent power, free of the military interferences, to make a decision without control from the invisible hands, as Thailand's critics put it.
Cambodia should not put all its eggs in the ASEAN under Mr. Marty's leadership or depend too much on ASEAN to resolve and monitor the withdrawal of troops with proper authority to inspect to ensure that both sides withdraw their troops. This is the wrong job for ASEAN because their expertise is not peacekeeping operation. Cambodia should have plan B, which is the UN Security Council, to assist in monitoring the peace agreement. Cambodia cannot allow the UN to push this issue aside without voicing our concerns loudly to the world body. Cambodia needs to gain support from China and Russia to push the issue to a higher level in order to end the dispute once and for all.
If the next Thai government has the desire to resolve the dispute, then it would be the blessing from the sky, but I doubt that it would be a walk in the park as you have witnessed soon after Thai election dramas. Thai PM-elect Yingluck Shinawatra is not out of the wood yet to form the government, with many lawsuits piling more headaches to the Election Committee (EC) to delay more endorsements and validations of MPs-elect.
Cambodia has always respected the ICJ because it is our only hope and it is the only independent body that Cambodia can put its fate upon. What other choice do Cambodia have? Should Cambodia explore the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement signed by all parties, including Thailand? If Thailand doesn't listen to the ICJ, what makes the Paris Peace Agreement any different? Opposition leader Sam Rainsy insisted again and again that we ought to push for the activation of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement as the basis to resolve the issue. I am puzzled by his suggestion too, but perhaps the opposition can show a few pointers to why it makes senses. Is it a smoke screen for the Cambodian oppositions to find excuses to attack the the Cambodian People's Party-dominated Cambodian government while it is dealing with the headaches brought on by the Abhisit administration and its PAD extremists?
The ICJ's push for ASEAN to be in charge of implementing and enforcing the ICJ's ruling is a grave concern due to the lack of leadership in the past from the Asean chair, Dr. Marty Natalegawa, the foreign minister of Indonesia. Dr. Marty had canceled his trip to Cambodia and Thailand in the past when the situation along the border of these two countries got heated.
Thailand doesn't have any respect for ASEAN under Indonesia's leadership. I remembered Dr. Marty had canceled his trip in the last minutes and he came up with the same lame excuses not the come and allowed both countries killed each others. Actually, both countries decided not to shoot up any more that is why we have this temporary ceasefire until the ICJ ruling because ASEAN didn't do anything to stop or prevent the armed clashes.
We can continue to blame Thailand for noncompliance because of their extreme People's Alliance for Democracy's (PAD) view and ideology or blame Thailand for the aggression. Who will stop Thailand? Cambodia has no choice but to fight back, like it or not. I don't see any change in Thailand's behavior thus far and we can only hope and pray for the next government to help find peace. My hope is that the next Thai government has the independent power, free of the military interferences, to make a decision without control from the invisible hands, as Thailand's critics put it.
Cambodia should not put all its eggs in the ASEAN under Mr. Marty's leadership or depend too much on ASEAN to resolve and monitor the withdrawal of troops with proper authority to inspect to ensure that both sides withdraw their troops. This is the wrong job for ASEAN because their expertise is not peacekeeping operation. Cambodia should have plan B, which is the UN Security Council, to assist in monitoring the peace agreement. Cambodia cannot allow the UN to push this issue aside without voicing our concerns loudly to the world body. Cambodia needs to gain support from China and Russia to push the issue to a higher level in order to end the dispute once and for all.
If the next Thai government has the desire to resolve the dispute, then it would be the blessing from the sky, but I doubt that it would be a walk in the park as you have witnessed soon after Thai election dramas. Thai PM-elect Yingluck Shinawatra is not out of the wood yet to form the government, with many lawsuits piling more headaches to the Election Committee (EC) to delay more endorsements and validations of MPs-elect.
Cambodia has always respected the ICJ because it is our only hope and it is the only independent body that Cambodia can put its fate upon. What other choice do Cambodia have? Should Cambodia explore the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement signed by all parties, including Thailand? If Thailand doesn't listen to the ICJ, what makes the Paris Peace Agreement any different? Opposition leader Sam Rainsy insisted again and again that we ought to push for the activation of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement as the basis to resolve the issue. I am puzzled by his suggestion too, but perhaps the opposition can show a few pointers to why it makes senses. Is it a smoke screen for the Cambodian oppositions to find excuses to attack the the Cambodian People's Party-dominated Cambodian government while it is dealing with the headaches brought on by the Abhisit administration and its PAD extremists?
2 comments:
Of course, China, Russia, and US are important for Cambodia to encounter with Thailand. But the most important for Cambodia is help itself.
Whenever Cambodia improves its economy, then Cambodia will have leverage politically and economically to deal with neighbor countries not only Thai.
True, Cambodia must depend on itself more than anyone else. Improve economy and with economic prosperity we can have more money to increase our defense budget and increase troop numbers, military training and of course buy more modern weapons like fighter jets and naval warships.
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