Bangkok Post
Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister
Pongthep Thepkanchana is one of three government ministers who will
attend the oral statements by Thailand and Cambodia at the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) over the Preah Vihear temple territorial
dispute.
Pongthep: Urging public to follow live broadcast of temple dispute case
The hearings will take place next week from Monday to Friday. Mr
Pongthep spoke to LAMPHAI INTATHEP about what the public should expect
from the hearings at The Hague.
What is your role during the oral hearings?
We have a legal team headed by the Thai ambassador to The Hague,
Virachai Plasai, to present our statement. Three ministers _ Foreign
Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat
and myself _ will be on standby there to discuss issues that may come up
and to provide recommendations to the legal team should they need input
from the government before making any decision.
After the first day of the oral hearings on Monday, which is scheduled for Cambodia, we will review our stance one more time.
How did you prepare for the case and what is your main argument?
We are not allowed to disclose our approach and neither is Cambodia.
All 1,300 pages of evidence will be available to the public on the ICJ's website and that of the Foreign Ministry on Monday.
We are ready to provide clarity on what Cambodia presents during the
oral hearings and we are also prepared to respond to what we think
Cambodia will say.
We will fight back on every possible aspect _ whether Cambodia asks
the ICJ to consider an interpretation of the court's 1962 ruling or not,
and whether the court is empowered to rule on the question of ownership
of the disputed land.
Normally, any demarcation of a land boundary at the temple should be done by the Thailand-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission.
Do you have any concerns about the hearings?
No. Our delegation has prepared everything well and it comprises of experienced lawyers who are known worldwide.
What is the next step?
I don't think there would be any further steps following the
hearings, only to wait for the court's ruling which is expected in
October.
Have you prepared for a worst-case scenario in which Thailand
loses the case? What message will you send to the public in that event?
Whatever the outcome is, I would like the public to closely watch the
oral hearings which will be broadcast live from The Hague via Channel
11 and Radio Thailand. People will be able to understand the whole story
and consider the issues by themselves. If the public follows the case
they'll know whether our delegation did its best and whether the ruling
is reasonable or not.
I would encourage everyone, especially those who live along the
Thai-Cambodia border, to respect the law and to avoid creating any
situation that may show that Thailand does not respect the legal
process. That would reflect poorly on the country.
We should help create an atmosphere that shows Thais respect the law.
We have done what is right. We do not trespass on other countries'
territory.
1 comment:
You have stolen Khmer's land ever since you come to existence as Siam thieves nation,Surin and Sakeo just the name a few.The thieves will always be thieves.Khmer will wins ICJ rules in Khmer's favor like in 1962 agAin.
Yobal Khmer
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