Monday, 25 June 2012
By Meas Sokchea
Phnom Penh Post
Prime ministers
Hun Sen and Nguyen Tan Dung at a ceremony in Kampot province yesterday.
Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post
Cambodian and Vietnamese officials followed through on plans to
inaugurate the final border post separating the two countries yesterday,
even though it’s technically not the last post because there are still
27 that need to go in the ground.
But who’s counting, right?
The ceremony for post number 314 was held in the southern province of Kampot overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.
Prime ministers Hun Sen and Nguyen Tan Dung spoke, flanked by about 1,000 officials from Cambodia and Vietnam.
“Given
this opportunity, I would like to declare that the affairs of
border-building have been enforced by standing on the basis of national
and international law,” Hun Sen said. “Actually, if we do not make the
effort to plant the border post, the border problem will continue for
many years to come.”
The border posting marked the 45th
anniversary of diplomatic ties established between the two countries in
1967, a relationship that has continued despite a brief hiatus when the
Khmer Rouge severed ties with Vietnam.
Nguyen Tan Dung said the border post would bolster co-operation in commerce, tourism and investment along the border.
“Post
314 is a beautiful construction located at the seaside of both
countries, having fresh air, a beautiful view, located near an
international border checkpoint,” he said. “I believe that in the near
future, this location would become good for tourism.”
Including yesterday’s addition, 287 finished border posts stretch along more than 1,000 kilometres between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Officials expect to put down the rest by the end of the year.
Not everyone, however, was in a congratulatory mood yesterday.
A
representative of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party was sceptical about
the benefits, economic or otherwise, the border crossing would bring.
And he questioned the transparency of the demarcation plans.
“If
[this border planting] is right, [Hun Sen] allows international
observers, national observers, parliamentarians of other political
parties to participate and have a look,” Yim Sovann said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Meas Sokchea at sokchea.meas@phnompenhpost.com
2 comments:
Youn wants this debut of inauguration ceremony to be known to the world, to confirm the legitimacy with the border demarcation with our illiterate leaders. Why don't Youn do lands swap with the Chinese, there are still a lot of disputed of land and sea between the two countries. This is probably the first time at least in life time to hear lands swap between countries, especially with the southeast asian power house, Vietnam. This is not lands swap, it is lands give away to Youn..
Youn is getting their payment right on time. More land for helping you dumb khmers.
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