A Change of Guard

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Thursday 30 June 2011

[Thai] PM refuses challenge by Hun Sen


WHC decision 'is not Cambodia's concern'

Published: 30/06/2011
Bangkok Post

The government has brushed off a challenge by Cambodia that it formally withdraw from the World Heritage Committee, while denying it was playing up the issue for political gain.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (pictured) yesterday said Cambodia should stop interfering in Thai affairs, after its leader Hun Sen stepped into the debate over the government's decision to leave the WHC.

Hun Sen has challenged the government to officially inform the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) if it was serious about withdrawing.

"If you have the heart of a son, you will write a formal letter to the WHC," he told a graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh.

Political commentators have criticised the government for showboating over the issue to attract the support of voters allied to the People's Alliance for Democracy, who have campaigned for the government to withdraw from the WHC to safeguard Thai territory in the disputed border area.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, who walked out of a WHC meeting in Paris last week, has been forced to defend his decision amid claims that it discredits the country internationally.

Mr Abhisit said Thailand's decision did not concern Hun Sen, and he should not interfere in the government's work.

He said the government would discuss with Unesco the effects of the WHC's decision not to consider Cambodia's management plan for Preah Vihear temple.

The matter concerned Thailand and Unesco only, Mr Abhisit said. He insisted the government's decision to withdraw from the WHC was meant to protect Thai territory, and not done merely for domestic political advantage.

Thailand has yet to formally withdraw from the body, despite Mr Suwit's assertion from Paris last week that his withdrawal took immediate effect.

The government had campaigned against the WHC discussing Cambodia's management plan for the disputed Preah Vihear temple, and threatened to withdraw if the plan was put on the agenda.

Sources say the meeting was drafting a statement confirming that discussion of the plan would be postponed, which was in line with a decision reached at an earlier WHC meeting in May.

However, the Thai delegation took exception to the wording of the draft, so Mr Suwit walked out.

Campaigning in Samut Sakhon yesterday, Mr Abhisit, who is also Democrat Party leader, said the public should decide whether to vote for the party that was "really" protecting the national interest in a way that might upset the leader of a neighbouring country, or back the local party that was close to Hun Sen.

He was referring to Pheu Thai Party, whose de facto leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, worked as a consultant to Hun Sen's government in 2009.

Mr Abhisit said he did not believe Thais wanted to risk losing border territory, and that his government had succeeded in foiling the World Heritage Committee's consideration of the management plan.

He said if Cambodia sincerely wanted to solve bilateral problems, it should stop complaining to the international community about their border dispute, and resume bilateral negotiations with Thailand.

Cambodian complaints in international forums would only compound bilateral tension, Mr Abhisit said.

Meanwhile, Mr Abhisit denied a rumour in Cambodia that Thailand would attack Cambodia as a ruse to postpone Sunday's election.

Reports suggest Cambodia is reinforcing its military near the border. Mr Abhisit said that while the Thai army had yet to reinforce its own troops, soldiers stood ready to defend the country.

First Army commander Lt Gen Udomdet Seetabut, said Cambodia had fielded infantry companies at two important locations opposite Sa Kaeo province.

While movements on the Cambodian side did not yet justify any concerns, he had ordered troops to strictly screen immigrants and their vehicles entering the country from Cambodia.

In Surin province, Lt Gen Tawatchai Samutsakhon, commander of the 2nd Army, said Cambodia was replacing soldiers along the border, and the risk of a clash could not be ruled out.

Visits to the Ta Muen Thom temple in Phanom Dong Rak district had been suspended for safety reasons.

Cambodian soldiers visited the temple to monitor the movements of Thai soldiers. Thai soldiers told their Cambodian counterparts to disarm before entering the temple.

Border trade continued and gamblers still crossed the border to casinos in Cambodia through the Chong Jom border pass in Surin as usual.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Thailand's withdrawal from the World Heritage Convention complied with a cabinet resolution which required action in case of developments which might affect sovereignty.

Mr Abhisit said on Tuesday that the next government should decide Thailand's fate with the WHC.

10 comments:

The Great Khmer Empire said...

"Visits to the Ta Muen Thom temple in Phanom Dong Rak district had been suspended for safety reasons.

Cambodian soldiers visited the temple to monitor the movements of Thai soldiers. Thai soldiers told their Cambodian counterparts to disarm before entering the temple."

I thought Ta Moan Thom temple was under cambodian troops control? I am confused.

Anonymous said...

Comon Abhishit Vejjajiva write a formal letter to UNESCO, don't just bla bla behind the fence...

Anonymous said...

This little thai boy scare of uncle hun xen khmer. Don't want to challenge.

Anonymous said...

9:19am

The temple is under Khmer control. Abhisit is an idiot. he only knows what his military told him. If they tell him the temple is under thai control he has no choice but to believe them.

They have to tell their people that they are still under control. You know what happen when they tell the truth. thai people can't handle the truth!

The cambodian military allowed them to come to the temple every morning to talk to each other to make sure the clash will not happen again. the thai takes that as they are still controlling the temple.

looks like the clash will happen again because of this WHC bullshit thing.

The Great Khmer Empire said...

1:47PM,
Thanks for clarifying for me. I appreciated that. Yes, you're right, AV and his Thai thugs lied so much that it's not credible anymore. Beside, it was written by the Bangkok Post, the most untrusworthy news organization on the planet. I should have known.

As far as clash goes, I hope it won't happend. But if it does, it'll cost our country at least $1 million a week to support the efforts,in my humble opinion. Something that we can not afford to ear marks this kind of funding.
If the Thai decide to invade us, then we have no choice but to fight back. I am fully supporting our country and our troops 100% no matter what happend. As always, may God bless Cambodia, our troops and our people.

Best Regards,
The Great Khmer Empire

Anonymous said...

9:19 AM, there are pictures that show that Thai troops are in control of Ta Moan Thom temple. I think Hun Sen lied about Cambodia's control of the temple to hide his failure. This is very dangerous when everyone believed our leaders without searching for facts or the truth. Here it is: http://kimedia.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/ki-media-thai-border-troops-reinforced/. look at the first picture. This article was published on 28/6/11.

The Great Khmer Empire said...

9:34PM,
That's what I thought. But then again, that picture could have been taken a long time ago when the Thais occupied that temple. Like I posted earlier, I don't trust the Bangkok Post at all. They fabricated tons of other issues. Their news are about 10% accurate.
I'd rather trust my fellow country Khmers than untrusworthy Thai news. May God bless Cambodia, our troops and our people.

Best Regards,
The Great Khmer Empire

Anonymous said...

Correct me if I'm wrong, aren't there 2 temples of Ta Moan, one is inside Thailand while the other is inside Cambodia. Thailand want to claim Prasat To Moan Thom also but maybe failed to capture it during the April's clash. Thailand's attitude is, if we can't steal this, we're steal that from Cambodia. Has anyone ever thought what General Prayuth Chan-Ocha mean when he stated that he's protect Thailand's sovereignty? Is Thailand's sovereignty also include reclaiming Prasat Ta Moan Thom. If Thailand has controlled of Prasat Ta Moan Thom as claimed by other, then why would General Prayuth trying to say such things. Is it also Thailand's propaganda using Bangkok Post as a mouthpiece to fool to its citizens for failing the mission to steal other part of Cambodia's properties. According to Thailand, everything inside Cambodia is Thailand's properties(sovereignty?). It just that Thailand hasn't got to stealing them yet. I wouldn't give too much credits to enemy Thailand and always assume Hun Sen is trying to hide his failure. This ading and advocating an enemy. You could be called a traitor. Not too many people like Hun Sen and I'm one of them, but he's running the show in Cambodia at this moment. As much as I dislike him, I cannot automatically assume that he's a failure. If he had, Preah Vihear and other part of the areas that enemy Thailand fought so hard for probably already be under their control. On the other hand, isn't there a possibility that Abhisit is also trying to hide his failure, and a few of us Khmer got fooled? This mindset of assuming that Cambodia always fail, fail, fail, and fail is very dangerous.

The Great Khmer Empire said...

This link:"http://kimedia.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/ki-media-thai-border-troops-reinforced/." really bugged me.
I did a little researched and found this article which stated clearly that Ta Muen Thom temple is under Khmer military control:
"Gen. Chea Dara, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in charge of Khmer-Thai border areas, said Thai nationals cannot enter Cambodian territory to repair Ta Moan Thom temple which is situated under Cambodian territorial integrity. "Thailand has no right to do repair works on any Cambodian temples. This action is called invasion and any invasion will be met with the use of swift and effective self-defence rights", he said."
Another quote:
"The warning from a Cambodian commander was issued after the Bangkok Post reported on Thursday 16th September that Thailand's Fine Arts Department planned to do repair works on Ta Moan Thom temple.

Mr. Var Kimhong, chairman of the Cambodian Border Commission, said today that Cambodia will never allow Thailand to do repair works on Ta Moan Thom temple because under the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty and the 1908 map, the temple is located under the sovereignty of Cambodia and therefore is a Cambodian temple. He said he had told the Thai Foreign Ministry during his visit to Thailand in 2001 that Thailand cannot touch Ta Moan Thom temple and warned that Cambodia will take legal action against Thailand if it started repair works on the temple. "N0! We won't allow them. Prasat Ta Moan is a Khmer temple. It is located very, very close border post No. 23. The French had planted that post north of the watershed and for Ta Moan Toch and Ta Moan temples, the border post was planted south of the watershed. The locations (of the temples) were drawn clearly in the map which both Thailand and Cambodia had been given the copies", he said."
Here's the link where I got the quotes:
http://khmerization.blogspot.com/2010/09/cambodia-will-use-force-if-thailand.html

Best Regards,
The Great Khmer Empire

Anonymous said...

I do believed that Ta Moan Thum is under Thai control, because khmer people has to ask for permission from Thai black soldier to unlock the fence...everytime they want to visit and go up to the Temple...I'm still pissed off! why we didn't allow khmer rouge stay there 1979? The samething with Phnom Chhat?