Mr. Fillon meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen this morning.By Khmerization
Source: RFA
The visiting French prime minister, Mr. Francois Fillon, has promised during a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen this morning that France will provide all border treaty documents to Cambodia to help Cambodia resolve a border dispute with Thailand. Mr. Fillon also said that France is ready to help Cambodia and Thailand resolve their border dispute peacefully.
France, as a colonial master of Cambodia for 90 years from 1863 to 1953, had concluded a number of border treaties with Thailand, then known as Siam, on behalf of Cambodia and is believed to hold a number of important documents relating to the border treaties between these two countries.
Mr. Fillon had also promised that France will support Cambodia's application to become a member of the UN Security Council.
France is one of major investors in Cambodia and the figures show that in 2010, French companies had invested $200 million in Cambodia. Figures had also shown that annual two-way trades between the two countries had reached $226 million. Out of these figures, Cambodia had exported to France worth $66 million and France exported to Cambodia worth $160 million annually.
Mr. Fillon is on a visit to Cambodia to strengthen friendship and cooperation between the two countries and also to inaugurate the restoration of Baphuon temple which was financed by the French government.
Source: RFA
The visiting French prime minister, Mr. Francois Fillon, has promised during a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen this morning that France will provide all border treaty documents to Cambodia to help Cambodia resolve a border dispute with Thailand. Mr. Fillon also said that France is ready to help Cambodia and Thailand resolve their border dispute peacefully.
France, as a colonial master of Cambodia for 90 years from 1863 to 1953, had concluded a number of border treaties with Thailand, then known as Siam, on behalf of Cambodia and is believed to hold a number of important documents relating to the border treaties between these two countries.
Mr. Fillon had also promised that France will support Cambodia's application to become a member of the UN Security Council.
France is one of major investors in Cambodia and the figures show that in 2010, French companies had invested $200 million in Cambodia. Figures had also shown that annual two-way trades between the two countries had reached $226 million. Out of these figures, Cambodia had exported to France worth $66 million and France exported to Cambodia worth $160 million annually.
Mr. Fillon is on a visit to Cambodia to strengthen friendship and cooperation between the two countries and also to inaugurate the restoration of Baphuon temple which was financed by the French government.
15 comments:
French will help provide most of khmer empier's provinces in Thailand back to Cambodia...Including Bangkok-Ayuthiya, Surin, Buriram, Chantaburi, Trat, Koh Kood, Koh Krabie, Koh Chang...
Maybe Cambodia should acquire the French made Exocet, anti-ship missile to defend against Thai battleships. This had proven to be a very effective ship destroyer in the 80's during the Falkands War of British against Argentina. Many British ships were sunk because of the Exocet. France should help Cambodia resurrect Royal Khmer Airforce.
There are about a dozen of Mig-21 store in Ponchentung International Airport. With just a fraction of the cost to purchase new jetfighters, Cambodia could just simply refurbish those store Migs to flying condition. Mig-21 is already proven to be a durable and rugged flying machine. With the top speed up to mach 2.2( which is very damn fast), it would be a good choice as an interceptor. Mig 21 can be upgrade to Mig-21-93 that pack with some of the lastest electronic equipments and firepower. Cambodia can purchase some of French Dassault Marage 2000multi-role jetfighter. With just $25 millions a piece, Cambodia could purchase just a few at start out. Better yet, Dassault Alpha Jet E, a smaller fighter with less pricey than Mirage 2000 can be a choice.
I am in agreement with purchasing hardware equipment for self defense. These items come with prices. There is no such thing as free lunch. However, I must acknoledge the government did the right thing for bringing France into the picture and ask them to assist us with any evidences they may be to build stronger cases on Cambodia's border disputes. However, I alway has this question in mind; why would France side with Cambodia instead of Thailand where it is over 80 millions population? Although, France can be very good ally if France doesnt want anything in return. Why would France dumped Vietnam for Cambodia who is over 80 millions strong? I think it is a fair questions; only France can answer it. Whatever the motive for France, we hope France can release some documents that can help Cambodia in the future.
Cambodia doesn't need fighter jets, all we need is Missile from N.korea to reach bangkok easily...
Welcome to Cambodian Mr. Fillon, could you helps us getting all the lost land back from Siames and Yuon too Sir.
Keep hoping folks with your dreams.
Read again and you can see that Mr. President says clearly that France is a friend of both Thailand and Cambodia and wants to see a peaceful solution to the problems and not wars.
Where on earth do you get the money to buy your dreamed weapons when half of your national budget comes from international aids?
Thailand has more money and they will buy more and better weapons than Cambodia in addition the Thais are closer friends and allies of the US so going to a full war with Thailand is suicidal.
Solution has to be a peaceful one as that way Cambodia has all the advantages!
Beside off-shore oil deposit, Cambodia occupies an important, potentially pivotal position within South East Asia's chessboard.
France wants to retain its political and economic influence over most of its former colonies. French troops also fought a few decisive battles with Siam that led to the latter being forced to return a few Khmer provinces back to Cambodia under French rule at the turn of the 20th century.
The Siamese rulers would not have returned any of these territories to Cambodia had they not been overpowered by the French navy and ground forces during those battles.
This episode has since been the source of much of Thailand's bitterness and is still a bone in the throat of Thai nationalism today.
Note: the Thais or Siamese government had had to bide their time throughout the period between the return of the western Khmer provinces to French Indochina and the time after the departure of France from Cambodia i.e. post-colonial era, to invade and re-occupy the Preah Vihear temple in the knowledge that independent Cambodia could not muster sufficient military means to resist Siamese military aggression on the ground. The current conflict is also rooted in this basic calculation over military disparities involving the 2 states.
The Thais had a costly clash with Laos in the eighties over very similar "watershed" boundary lines they claimed (still do) to have agreed with colonial France. Remember Laos and Cambodia had been under the same French Indochinese sovereignty and thus shared the same boundary line with Siam.
An unexpectedly strong Laotian military response resulting in combined losses of 1000 casualties eventually forced the Thais to the negotiating table, paving the way for the joint border commission formed by both countries to hammer out the disputed boundary in a peaceful manner. Now, Laos had a much smaller population than Cambodia has today!
Why should France give preference to Cambodia over her much more numerous neighbours?
This is a crucial issue, and we have to study history, perhaps, to answer this question in any meaningful way. The strategic location that a country or state occupies sometimes offers indispensable value to interested powers like France, and this geo-political status by itself is worthwhile or not irrespective of its existing numerical value i.e. population size. The state of Israel, a client of the US comes to mind in this context.
To elaborate on this matter would take much time and space. However, to keep it brief, to have middle-sized powers like France and heavy weights like China and the US on your size, the onus is very much on Cambodia to determine what kind of future she wants for herself. It is a challenge for the Cambodian leadership as such. Until today, the country is still less than half way to independence from foreign yoke; more authoritarian than democratic (Cambodia had only been briefly 'independent' during the post-colonial period that had been abruptly brought to an end by Sihanouk's secret deals with the North Vietnamese); more police state than an emerging democracy.
But, one suspects that much more important to foreign powers like France are the country's long term intentions or aspirations as these spell themselves out in geopolitical realities - i.e. the sort of realities desired by these powers.
Are Cambodian leaders conscious of these undercurrents? If they are, how prepared are they to pursue ends that might not be to the liking of their patrons, and yet in tune with their nation's true long term interests and aspirations? Or are they just content to see their country stuck in this prostrate half way house called purgatory?
France must provide the document to the Cambodia public about Vietnam and Cambodia territories. Otherwise it is unfair.
6:44AM. I assume you're Siem. You don't need to assume that any hope and optimism for Cambodia are dreams. I know what please you and delight you more, that is seeing Cambodia at a state of weak and inferior, correct? I say, fuck you and your pathetic negative judgemental of Cambodia. What do you expect Mr. Fillon to say. Of course he's going to say that he's standing in the middle ground and want to see a peaceful solution to the problem and not war. He's not going to say that he taking side but he's not going to let his former colony Cambodia, get run over by Thailand aggression either. If France helped Cambodia before, France will help Cambodia again, there no doubt about that.
You got your cage all rattled up when someone thought about the possibilty of France should and could assist Cambodia in rebuilding her air force. That was just a sake of idea of that possibility. What, you don't think Cambodia should be allowed to have air force? How much money do you think Cambodia need to resurrect her air force that Cambodia can't afford? This is base on your arrogant Thai point of view. Cambodia live off international aids is irrelevence to Cambodia resurrection her air force. A small portion of Cambodia military spending can be use to start this process. Resurrecting Cambodian air force is not impossible if Cambodia wanted to. At this time, Cambodia probably see it as unnecessary but it wouldn't hurt to come up with some idea. If that idea hurt Thailand's ego or yours..ooohh fucking well, tough shit. If Cambodia resurrected her air force, Thailand will undoubtly raise the bar. How much is Thailand willing to raise its military spending just to make itself feel above Cambodia, militarily?
Just because Thailand has better so-called " better military than Cambodia's", doesn't mean Thailand can just bully Cambodia to get more land. It doesn't work at this time of age. Don't stupid yourself into thinking that today is 14th century. Thai government exploit its failure by shifting its own internal political madness toward Cambodia and divert Thais away from solving its own real problems. Basically, Thailand want to spill its blood over to Cambodia. Thailand hope to cause problems and have reason to make war with Cambodia. Thailand is betting on its military to solve political issue with Cambodia. It will take more than Thailand military fancy weapons to take down Cambodia. I don't think it's going to be that simple. Maybe not military suicidal, but it will be regional and international political suicidal, for Thailand. This will throw regional peace and stability out of alignment. And all fingers will pointing at Thailand.
Maybe you should do your part by finding a peaceful solution by knocking on Ahbullshit office door and demand a peaceful resolution between Cambodia and Thailand. At the rate of Thailand flexing its over exaggerate firepower muscles, there won't be a peaceful solution, would there? You are fooling yourself if you expect Cambodia to backdown without shedding a few drops of blood.
Sgt Houn
USMC
Sgt Houn, USMC
You don't need to be that rude to another poster. I read the same comment like you and do not feel that the writer puts Cambodia down. You are entitled to your opinion and he is entitled to his so there is no need to use bad and cursing words against another poster.
How do you know that that poster is not a Khmer? You are guesing and you may be totally wrong!
If your argument is good, let other readers judge it and there is no need to use very obscene language to prove your point.
I hope when there is war with Thailand, you are in the battlefield and not sitting behind the computer screen writing your comment here.
Sgt Houn, USMC,
You claim to be in the US army, but your language shows that you have not been properly trained in the US army.
Are you really in the US marine or are you just bragging?
General Bay Kdaing, USAF
Sgt Houn,
Keep hoping Sgt! By the time you are done with war with Thailand, the Vietnamese will welcome you back into your own house.
Damn, Sgt. Houn you upseting someone. I think it's the same guy you talked about. He's attacking you, sir.
You know sgt. Houn, I like reading your comments. I know you are US marine. I think you are alright guy. I don't care about anyone thinking of you. You bring out alot of points. You are KhmerAmerican. I know you care about Cambodia. You don't want someone to step on Cambodia. Sometime I think people who talk bad about Cambodia want to see Khmer suffer more and more. when Cambodia getting back up, they don't like it. They are happy to see Cambodia go down. I think if you don't use F or S words, you comment maybe much better. Some people can use this against you. Your comment are long but good reading. Sometime other comments is like a poems, long but very hard to understand. Thank you.
What? We got a fake flyboy in here shooting blanks at you Sgt. Houn? Your first home is in America, the Viet Cong gooks can't come and take over America, that's for sure. Don't believe 309pm, he's just a one man army. I think he's pretty touch by your comment. A little touch of "F" and "S" help spice up the punches in your comment. You're a US Marine, it sounded damn beautiful how you put it, so I don't see anything wrong in doing that.
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