Var Kimhong (r) shook hand with Thai negotiator Mr. Vasin Teeravechayan during border meeting in Phnom Penh on 6-7 April 2009.By Khmerization
Var Kimhong, Cambodia's chief border negotiator, reacted to the Thai People's Alliance for Democracy's (PAD) demand for the annulment of the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty by saying that the act will contravene international laws, reports Radio Free Asia.
Earlier this week, a group of Thai hardline politicians from the PAD had asked the Thai government to cancel the 1907 Treaty and annul the 1:200,000 scale 1907 treaty map produced by France and accepted by the then Thai government. Mr. Kimhong said the Thai government cannot annul the treaty and the map because the International Court of justice in 1962 had accepted and used the treaty and the map to reach its verdict which gave ownership of Preah Vihear and the surrounding areas to Cambodia.
He said: "Now the Abhisit government doesn't recognise the 1907 Treaty? He cannot say like that because the International Court of Justice in The Hague had already given its verdict and the Thai side had already recognised the 1962 verdict which used the 1907 and the Dangrek maps which Thailand accepted in 1907...So it means that they do not accept the court's verdict. As a member of the United Nations, Thailand cannot do like that. In accordance with the letter from Mr. Tharit Komman (Thai Foreign Minister) in 1962, he accepted the verdict after the court decided. The Thai side has to recognise the court's verdict in relations to Preah Vihear. I don't know what they think about (international) laws, it is difficult, because they have accepted the verdict already. Furthermore, we have worked together until we achieved an MoU and in 2003 we all have made it very clear to each other that we will use the (1907 Franco-Siamese treaty) 1:200,000 scale map to delimit the Khmer-Thai borders."
He said Thailand had signed many border agreements with the French colonial ruler such as the 1904 convention and 1907 treaty and the acceptance of the map commissioned by Franco-Siam Mixed Commission and produced by France in 1908. "There were many agreements that recognised the map, so they cannot annul it (the map)", Var Kimhong said.
Var Kimhong, Cambodia's chief border negotiator, reacted to the Thai People's Alliance for Democracy's (PAD) demand for the annulment of the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty by saying that the act will contravene international laws, reports Radio Free Asia.
Earlier this week, a group of Thai hardline politicians from the PAD had asked the Thai government to cancel the 1907 Treaty and annul the 1:200,000 scale 1907 treaty map produced by France and accepted by the then Thai government. Mr. Kimhong said the Thai government cannot annul the treaty and the map because the International Court of justice in 1962 had accepted and used the treaty and the map to reach its verdict which gave ownership of Preah Vihear and the surrounding areas to Cambodia.
He said: "Now the Abhisit government doesn't recognise the 1907 Treaty? He cannot say like that because the International Court of Justice in The Hague had already given its verdict and the Thai side had already recognised the 1962 verdict which used the 1907 and the Dangrek maps which Thailand accepted in 1907...So it means that they do not accept the court's verdict. As a member of the United Nations, Thailand cannot do like that. In accordance with the letter from Mr. Tharit Komman (Thai Foreign Minister) in 1962, he accepted the verdict after the court decided. The Thai side has to recognise the court's verdict in relations to Preah Vihear. I don't know what they think about (international) laws, it is difficult, because they have accepted the verdict already. Furthermore, we have worked together until we achieved an MoU and in 2003 we all have made it very clear to each other that we will use the (1907 Franco-Siamese treaty) 1:200,000 scale map to delimit the Khmer-Thai borders."
He said Thailand had signed many border agreements with the French colonial ruler such as the 1904 convention and 1907 treaty and the acceptance of the map commissioned by Franco-Siam Mixed Commission and produced by France in 1908. "There were many agreements that recognised the map, so they cannot annul it (the map)", Var Kimhong said.
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