A Change of Guard

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Thursday 28 July 2011

The U.S must act as the responsible global peace-keeper

Op-Ed by School of Vice

Re: The U.S will not take side on the Cambodia-Thai conflict

The US doesn't have to take side in this quarrel. All it has to do is act the responsible global peace-keeper that it claims or pretends to be by backing the UN's highest court's provisional resolutions and ensuring neither party continues to waste time demanding the other makes the first move or blocking third party's access into the area 'in dispute'.

Beside Indonesia and Asean, the UN, if it has the willing co-operation of the US government, has other options to enforce those ICJ measures, one of which clearly states that both countries must "immediately withdraw military personnel from the provisional demilitarized zone".

I think it's clear the US does not want to be seen as a meddling presence in Asean's affairs even while it privately acknowledges that organisation's lack of competence or inability in the task of peace-keeping. The US is also one of the signatories of the Paris Peace Accords which came into being as a means of providing Cambodia with some sort of international assistance should her sovereignty come under threat from any of her larger neighbours (if I understand the PPA's essence correctly).

A joint US-Thai military drill also took place recently not far from the conflict zone. Along with similar joint military exercises in other Asean countries, this US-led initiative may involve a great deal more than equipping its Asean allies with know-how and technical training in peace-keeping.

The US knows Bangkok is in the wrong on this matter (the American embassy in Phnom Penh through recently leaked cables confirms that), but whilst it is making effort to build a coherent pro-American bloc in counter to perceived Chinese dominance in South East Asia and the Pacific, it sees no sense in jeopardising its own scheme by upsetting some Asean members with a more resolute midwife role to this Thai-Cambodian conflict.

By contrast, Washington sees nothing wrong with all these military drills and naval exercises off the coast of Vietnam and in the South China Sea - maneuvers within China's geographical backyards which must be viewed with some degree of dismay and hostility by Beijing. And so it should be.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is so much Khmer blood on the U. S. hands, while the U. S. tries to lecture us about Human Rights as well as using the dirty debt as a thorn keep poking our wounds. Now, it seems history is repeating itself by permitting its ally to kill us while play mum’s the words as an old trick.

Anonymous said...

Because of US's policy in cambodia. US bombardment destroyed and killed so many cambodian and turn cambodia into a killing field zone...So far, US did notthing to help? Only interference...



Chantrea,

Anonymous said...

Just the statement alone that US will not take side on the Cambodia-Thai conflict is already show that US is taking ah thai side. If US is not taking side, why US does not help enforce the ICJ ruling?

Anonymous said...

US knew all along whats going on..with Thailand faking the map, cheating on cambodia. US even knew who starting war first! But US still playing dumb, pretending knew nothing...by allowing Thailand do whatever they felt like It!

Anonymous said...

The U.S is playing a peace-maker game because Thailand is invading Cambodia. But if it was Cambodia that invaded Thai territory, the U.S will scream its lung out and threatens Cambodia with military intervention. If the U.S wants to be a superpower that is respected by all countries, it must be very fair in any dispute. In the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand, the U.S must tell its Thai baby to withdraw from Cambodian territory, or at least tell it to implement the ICJ ruling.

Anonymous said...

Don't waste your breath. The US wash her hands away from SE Asia since the Vietnam war.

Anonymous said...

That's not true. Trust me. If the U. S. did not sneeze, the Thai would not catch a cold.

Anonymous said...

when the yuon take khmer krom the US do nothing. but then yuon take spratly island the US jump right in to take side. and where is the crime that they bomb us and agent orange us?? i only trust china.

Anonymous said...

US knows it can't fool Hun Sen, Hun Sen knows the only one khmer can rely on is China.

Anonymous said...

per my assessment from the comments; it looks like China won the heart Southeast Asia again especially Cambodia. There are many good comments that spark my thoughts regarding how USA didnt take side and USA used to say, "either you are with us or you are against us" the same principle apply. The other comment regarding spratly islands dispute and USA jumped to side with Vietnam and Philliphine in a heart beat against China. USA has no problem taking side against the giant China so the message is crystal clear what side USA is on regarding Cambodia-Thai border conflict. USA never afraid to show it strength and influences against any body that goes against its interests, therefore you can draw your own conclusion where USA stands with the border conflict. The other evidences are releasing of files through Wikileak on Cambodia government officials; I am not making excuse or trying to clean FM Hor Namhong past etc. I am just stating the fact, those files were released. However, I haven't seen files related to Thailand agression, Thai soldiers start shooting first, Thai's soldiers murdered Cambodian refugees in the 80s, Thailand using fake map, the real Cambodia soveriegnity, the flip flop of thailand government and none of the GBC meetings were approved etc. I guess Thailand government is clean like a whistle, it doesnt have any dirty laundry to air out?

Anonymous said...

I think for this time, we should not talk about who the US supports.
The US does not think that it is the right time to get involved in this small conflict. The US has known that Thailand lost several battles with Cambodia because Thailand don't want to get this conflict to be solved internationally. The US and other countries know these tricks. They know that it is not gonna be big conflict.
I think the US, Cambodia, Thailand, and as well as other countries wait for two results:
1. The stand of new Thai government.
2. ICJ's Interpretation.
..........................

Keep in mind, no one want to waste their money for such a stupid Thai nationalism.

If I can read the US' government thought, he might said, "Cambodia, you might be patient a little bit more. The problems will be solved soon."

You have to know this time that the US is really dissapointed with his allies like Iran and Pakistan.
I don't want to say the reasons since many other know. Now, Thailand is another one. The more those illegal Thais suffer RED SHIRTS, the little votes they got. This election's result proof already.
Thailand might have the people' revolution soon if They still steal the power from the RED SHIRT.

Anonymous said...

Iran and Pakistand are not the U. S. allies. These two countries do not like the U. S. especially, the Iranians.

Anonymous said...

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