Abhisit calls on govt to stand firm

Bangkok Post 20/07/2012

The government must be persistent in its protests against Cambodian villagers' occupation of a disputed border area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple, Democrat Party and opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva says.

Defence Minister SukumpolSuwanatat answers reporters’ questions yesterday about the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute. He admits it will take time to deal with Cambodian villagers’ occupation of disputed areas surrounding the Preah Vihear temple. APICHART JINAKUL

He said he backed Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa's calls for the government to keep up protests.

Mr Abhisit said the government must tell Indonesia, which has been acting as a mediator between Thailand and Cambodia, that the area including a market and the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda has been a flashpoint.

The locations of the Cambodian community, the market and the pagoda violate the memorandum of understanding covering the boundary that both countries signed in 2000, he said.

Mr Abhisit said Thailand has repeatedly protested against the land occupation but has yet to take any tougher action because it does not want any confrontation.

He said if third-party observers entered the disputed area and saw the community but Thailand did not protest, they might be led to believe the area belongs to Cambodia.

Abhisit Vijjajiva - former PM of Thailand has been exploiting his country's emotional embarrassment and failed ambition over the Preah Vihear dispute which has since 2008 consumed hundreds of lives from both sides of the border. By resurrecting a dispute which should have been put to bed since the ICJ ruling in 1962, Abhisit has seen long term benefits in helping to strengthen the hands of ultra-conservative elements in Thai politics, including the military which has long assumed and acted out the role of King-maker. The lingering of the same dispute whilst serving Abhisit and his party's agenda politically is also providing as an expedient side issue that Thailand can afford [and has been seeking] to deal with on its own terms - i.e. coercive military means - vis a vis a heavily disadvantaged adversary: Cambodia - School of Vice   [image credit: the Hindu]

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa visited Cambodia yesterday, a day after Thailand and Cambodia withdrew their troops from the disputed area.

Asean has agreed to send Indonesian observers into the disputed area.

Mr Abhisit said the occupation must be dealt with immediately, otherwise other countries would understand that the occupation was legitimate, which could have a significant bearing on the border case under consideration by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat yesterday admitted that it would take some time to negotiate with Cambodia to clear the surrounding community near Preah Vihear as the villagers refused to move out.

A Thai-Cambodia joint working group under the General Border Committee will hold a third meeting next Wednesday to work on the redeployment of more troops, he said.

On Wednesday, two companies of border patrol police officers were sent in to replace soldiers who withdrew from the 17.3 sq km area around the Preah Vihear temple, marked as a demilitarised zone by the ICJ.

The zone includes the ninth-century Hindu temple and a 4.6 sq km surrounding area, the ownership of which is claimed by both countries.

Phnom Penh has asked the ICJ to interpret whether the immediate vicinity around the temple belongs to Cambodia.

The court has ordered the two countries to pull out their troops until it renders its judgement.

Cambodia also replaced its soldiers in the disputed area with police.

Some 485 Cambodian troops pulled back from a demilitarised zone and 255 police entered it, and another 100 have moved to the temple grounds, although there were reports that Cambodian soldiers remain in the disputed area posing as civilians.