Thai Foreign Minister To Clarify Thai-cambodian

[churchill]

Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya is expected to inform the Thai public regarding the Thai-Cambodian negotiation framework, especially regarding the disputed ancient Preah Vihear temple, on state television Monday, said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

During his weekly radio and television broadcast, Mr Abhisit said that details of international negotiation frameworks approved by both houses of Parliament last Wednesday were numerous and that the foreign affairs minister needed to explain them on television.

Thailand’s stance in relation to the disputed temple after it was awarded UN World Heritage status remains unchanged, Mr Abhisit said, and the government would put every efforts into to preventing such a problem from occurring again.

Troops of both countries remain deployed near the temple. Thailand is finding ways to negotiate to meet the agreement made in 2000, said Mr Abhisit.

Tensions between the two neighbouring countries flared in July 2008 when the temple was awarded UN World Heritage status. Although the World Court ruled in 1962 that it belonged to Cambodia, the most accessible entrance is in Thailand’s northeastern Si Sa Ket province.

Cambodia uses a French colonial map to demarcate the border, which Thailand says favours Cambodia. Thailand relies on a map drawn up later with American technical assistance.

Mr Abhisit said the 2000 agreement calls for a negotiation process and that both countries must refrain from changing the environment of the disputed area in way which could affect the other party’s rights.

The government is not remaining idle as it could affect the country’s sovereignty, the prime minister added.

http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=11679

-- TNA 06/09/09

[Thai at Heart]

Same story from the Bangkok Post with Sondhi putting his oar in.

Speaking on his ASTV channel, Mr Sondhi said the government's negligence had allowed Cambodian troops to take control of the land.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/add-reply-f18-to295746.html

I wonder when the last time was that Sondhi went down there to actually see the place. If he wants to go and have a fight with Cambodia, I think he should be allowed to go and do it personally from the front line.

Edited September 7, 2009 by Thai at Heart

[animatic]

The whole Thailand populace is raised to have an absurd level of irrational nationalism.

It is the single thread that the concept of Thailand hangs from, cut it, and you are back to

20 different peoples, living snout and jowl on the same land, but not a country.

Some pol types plumb that depth a bit hard than others. Nationalism sells.

It also can work to completely INVERSE ends since it is country wide,

and 'outside itself' ideologically free. Works for ANY nation/state.

My country right or wrong etc etc.

[LawnGnome]

It sounds like the government is trying to put this issue to rest finally, and have done their due diligence (getting parliamentary approval, etc). Remember that the Somchai cabinet is under indictment for not getting parliamentary approval for their negotiations.

[Thai at Heart]

The whole Thailand populace is raised to have an absurd level of irrational nationalism.

It is the single thread that the concept of Thailand hangs from, cut it, and you are back to

20 different peoples, living snout and jowl on the same land, but not a country.

Some pol types plumb that depth a bit hard than others. Nationalism sells.

It also can work to completely INVERSE ends since it is country wide,

and 'outside itself' ideologically free. Works for ANY nation/state.

My country right or wrong etc etc.

Considering how quickly everyone are to pigeon hole everyone depending on stereotypes depending on from where they hail, it would appear that as quickly as the nationalists want a "unified" Thainess in the country, the people are more than happy to keep it distinctly separated.

[Oberkommando]

The Thais sheltered, armed and guarded Pol Pot and the KR in the 90's and gave them safe haven, now they are up against many ex-KR who now fight for the Cambodian Army.

How quickly things change.

[thaihome]

It’s kinda fumy how everyone here goes after Thailand for what they perceive is Thai nationalism driving this dispute. In fact, Cambodia, and specifically Hun Sen and his CPP started this by registering the Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site despite an earlier agreement to not do it unilaterally, in order to use Cambodian nationalism in the July 2008 election that returned the CPP to power with a majority without the need for any coalition parties.

TH