Flag-Waving Won't Resolve Thailand-Cambodia Border Issues

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EDITORIAL

Flag-waving won't resolve border issues

By The Nation

The disputes over ownership of the Preah Vihear temple and sovereignty of the adjacent area are two separate issues, and should be treated as such

It's sad but true that many elected and non-elected officials in Thailand have a strong tradition of exploiting the national interest for political gain, especially when it comes to international relations. But while it is normal in Thailand's gutter politics to exploit nationalist sentiment for selfish political gain, the consequences can be more serious when it comes to the international setting. There is little room for error and mistakes could result in war.

Sometimes it is not strictly about legality or anything else that is quantifiable or can be measured in concrete terms. Take, for example, the anti-Thai riot in Phnom Penh a few years ago, when Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen lent support to a rumour that a Thai celebrity had allegedly said that Siem Reap - the city where the great ruins of Angkor are situated - belonged to Thailand at one time or another. Like typical politicians in Southeast Asia, he couldn't or wouldn't make a distinction between nation-state (a Western concept) and civilisations.

Take "muay Thai", as another example. This form of kick martial art comes from the Brahman/Buddhist civilisation and should not belong to a single country, no matter how you commercialise it.

One can also argue that the same attitude and mindset is being employed in the handling of the Preah Vihear temple dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. The 12th-century Hindu temple was adjudged by the World Court in 1962 as belonging to Cambodia. For ordinary Thais, the legal jargon just didn't make sense. Here is an ancient temple that sits on a cliff in Thailand, and below the cliff is Cambodia. The only entrance to the temple is, naturally, from the Thai side. But practical reality is not always admissible in a court of law. In the Preah Vihear case, the Franco-Siamese treaty of 1907 looped the political boundary around the temple so that it would fall under French territory in Cambodia. And then came independent, nation-state, nationalist sentiment, and consequently a border dispute.

The World Court in 1962 ruled on the temple but not the boundary demarcation, leaving a 4.6-square-kilometre area that both sides now claim. Thailand wasn't happy but accepted the verdict on the grounds that it could be appealed after ten years if new evidence surfaced. But time went by and no new evidence came to light.

But the broken heart was never healed and the wound was reopened when the then government of Samak Sundaravej endorsed Cambodia's plan to register Preah Vihear on the UN World Heritage list.

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the then opposition Democrat Party of Abhisit Vejjajiva accused the Samak government of violating the Constitution when it endorsed Phnom Penh's plan without consulting Parliament. Abhisit wasn't just citing a technicality; he argued that Thailand still has the right to challenge the 1962 ruling. Strange as it may sound, Abhisit said the temple may indeed belong to Cambodia but sovereignty of the ground that it rests on is far from settled.

One prevailing theory among nationalists in Thailand is that any move on the temple will strengthen Cambodia's hand over the disputed 4.6 square kilometres. Besides the disputed territory around the temple, they argue that Unesco status will also increase Phnom Penh's leverage over maritime disputes in the Gulf of Siam and the islands that fall into overlapping territorial claims. They are calling on the Abhisit government to scrap the joint communique to support the Preah Vihear World Heritage inscription signed by the then foreign minister, Noppadon Pattama - a document that was ruled unlawful by the Constitutional Court.

Perhaps it's time to stop crying over spilled milk and come to terms with the past. While it is understandable that Thai policy-makers are concerned about Cambodia's hidden agenda, this shouldn't mean that they have the green light to sabotage every move that country makes. The PAD needs to understand the concept of sovereignty, and the Abhisit government should have accepted the invitation to sit on Unesco's International Coordinating Committee (ICC). If we are confident in our position over the disputed territory, then accepting the invitation should not be a problem. After all, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti accepted and signed the World Heritage Committee's decision 34 COM 7B.66, which basically endorses Cambodia's position on the ICC.

In the final analysis, Thailand should not demand anything far beyond the protection of its right to the disputed area adjacent to the temple. We need to disconnect the discourse between the border dispute and the temple. The border dispute should be handled by a joint boundary committee. Unesco and the World Heritage Committee are not the places to discuss this matter.

-- The Nation 2010-08-07

[SomTumTiger]

I am so sick of this stupid temple.

[jayjay0]

Interesting Thailand wants it back because in 1900 it was theirs.

On the other hand the four southern provinces were not theirs and they don't want to let them go.

[dumball]

I think thai have a huge problem caused by thier constantly looking over the shoulder to point at what once was , they fail to point out that way back in thier history , much of Thailand was under khymer rule , hence the number of Khymer temples that are located on Thai soil as it is today .

When will governments stop acting like spoiled brats and appreciate this is 2010 and look forward to what needs to be achieved for the future of thier countries , to live in a harmonious manner which will be benificial to both countries , as indeed , most of the populace already does on a day to day basis .

The rabble rousers need to be treated with a very firm hand that lets them know in a specific manner , they have the right to voice thier opinion , but so does the rest of the population , but in the end , THE GOVERNMENT has the final say . Having said that , the current government should also appreciate that previous governments were given the same mandate in respect of decisions and agreements with foriegn parties , those agreements , even if not thought of as the right thing to have been done at that time , are none the less , still agreements of the the Thai people, whom the government represents . Goverments do not OWN either the country or its populace , they are elected to , hopefully , represent the majority in its decisions for future developement of said country and all of its citizens .

To fall back on history and respond in like manner , in a barbaric manner , will achieve little to nothing for all parties concerned , nor will it add anything towards diplomatic relations in this modern time global village where we all need to live in a harmonious manner for the suvival of all mankind . Governments have a duty to perform for thier citizens in respect of how they are considered on a world wide scale , what this current government is rapidly achieving is negativity , a slur on its repution as a nation , warnings by global governments that Thailand , which includes its citizens , is a dangerous country to visit .

Wake up people , stop the flag waving and face up to the realities of today , you need to think about what tomorrow will bring , a strange and alien thought for Thai .

[junglist]

My father would say “share it or I will take it away from both of you”.

[hammered]

It is not just the Thai side waving flags

[TAWP]

My father would say “share it or I will take it away from both of you”.

Could blowing up the temple solve the issue?

Well, I have a feeling that some people rather see the other side denied having it than having it themselves, so it might be an workable approach...

[Farang0tang]

Previousley (parts of) Thailand under Khmer Rule.

And i think i read somewhere, before Khmer, the lands was conquered by the Javanese (note: not Japanese), and before that, the peoples were of Han Chinese.

Maybe Beijing should counter claim the temple!

(However i could be totally wrong and got it all inside out)

[Farang0tang]

Maybe it was the Shan not Han Chinese - or similar.

[Oberkommando]

My father would say “share it or I will take it away from both of you”.

Take it away from the people that built it? The Khmers?

I could understand if it was a gift to be shared, but it is not, it is theirs, regardless of who has owned it.

Should they share it with the French too? They technically owned it once too.

It is not just the Thai side waving flags

No, but it is a Khmer temple and UNESCO have granted it World Heritage site status to Cambodia.

No wonder the Cambodians are angry, I saw a PAD sympathiser draped in a Thai flag with a placard that read, "this land has always been Thai."

You can't do anything against blind nationalism coupled with ignorance.

[Farang0tang]

Anyway remember the rule: One can own the house but not the land underneath!

[Asa]

We are talking about today, tomorrow, even the border line is there people from both sides can roam freely and the line will lose its meaning. Everyone knows this part of the world was ruled by many tribesman not only Khmer, but Mon, Myan, Malay, and many others. Should we brought history to make claim, then U.S. must return the land to the injun, Great Britain back to Roman, Saxon, and Angles yes?

Present day we have the line. Argument here is where it lies. Refer to Siam Franco treaty it lies at the major watershed divide, so between River Che and Tonle Sap teh line is right where the shrine was built, on the cliff and along the edge of Korat plateau. People who built the shrine were under Khmer ruler, and the labour were nobody else but the local high land Khmer who are today Thais. By document it is on Thai side, by geological method , it's on Thai side, by ethnic approach, can't clearly divide these people in the area only the terms high land khmer in Thai side, and low land khmer in Cambodia. Therefore, teh shrine seats on Thai's land, period.

[dumball]

We are talking about today, tomorrow, even the border line is there people from both sides can roam freely and the line will lose its meaning. Everyone knows this part of the world was ruled by many tribesman not only Khmer, but Mon, Myan, Malay, and many others. Should we brought history to make claim, then U.S. must return the land to the injun, Great Britain back to Roman, Saxon, and Angles yes?

Present day we have the line. Argument here is where it lies. Refer to Siam Franco treaty it lies at the major watershed divide, so between River Che and Tonle Sap teh line is right where the shrine was built, on the cliff and along the edge of Korat plateau. People who built the shrine were under Khmer ruler, and the labour were nobody else but the local high land Khmer who are today Thais. By document it is on Thai side, by geological method , it's on Thai side, by ethnic approach, can't clearly divide these people in the area only the terms high land khmer in Thai side, and low land khmer in Cambodia. Therefore, teh shrine seats on Thai's land, period.

A gave you '1' for at least making an attempt to prove your point despite your ignorance , there is no line , the temple dispute has been solved on documents to belong to Khymer , the squabbling by spoiled brats is about where to put the line which , as you state , will be ignored by all .

[elcent]

Eventually it will fade away like the fire truck issue they once have cried about hysterically for months. Payday will be coming on next election day. Wait and see. When the opposition plays it skillfully now they can get 2/3 of the votes that will make them shut up, the opportunixts and the yellows alike.

Abhisit only stated today the obvious that the temple was gone in 1962. Just remember the troubles created over this.

Edited August 7, 2010 by elcent

[jayjay0]

We are talking about today, tomorrow, even the border line is there people from both sides can roam freely and the line will lose its meaning. Everyone knows this part of the world was ruled by many tribesman not only Khmer, but Mon, Myan, Malay, and many others. Should we brought history to make claim, then U.S. must return the land to the injun, Great Britain back to Roman, Saxon, and Angles yes?

Present day we have the line. Argument here is where it lies. Refer to Siam Franco treaty it lies at the major watershed divide, so between River Che and Tonle Sap teh line is right where the shrine was built, on the cliff and along the edge of Korat plateau. People who built the shrine were under Khmer ruler, and the labour were nobody else but the local high land Khmer who are today Thais. By document it is on Thai side, by geological method , it's on Thai side, by ethnic approach, can't clearly divide these people in the area only the terms high land khmer in Thai side, and low land khmer in Cambodia. Therefore, teh shrine seats on Thai's land, period.

Are you smoking that stuff. No argument Just a bunch of uninformed nationalistic Thais playing up the Nationalism issue to get support for them in the elections.

The fact is King Rama the v made a deal that gave it clear ownership to Cambodia and the world court backed it up. No argument Just denial of the facts.

[Tod Daniels]

I find it quite interesting that all the rhetoric and rampant nationalism is ONLY directed at countering the Cambodian Management Plan of the WHS Preah Vihear Temple Complex.

NONE, as in not a single sentence or word has been directed toward getting the “Joint Demarcation Committee “off their proverbial asses and actually figuring out where the frickin’ border really is out there.

In fact I doubt they’ve demarcated a square meter of land since 1962 when the temple was deemed to be FIRMLY inside Cambodia. No matter how much the thais wanna whine about the injustice of it all, that decision is OLD NEWS.. Yet again, rather than figuring out a way to capitalize financially on the access to the temple complex, which is FAR easier to get to from the thai side than the Cambodian one, thailand has decided in their infinite wisdom to close the thai access, thereby hurting ANY thais who happened to have businesses on the road leading to the temple. Smart move, way to go .

It’s a typical smoke and mirrors political tactic, turning peoples’ attention away from the problems INSIDE the country which plague everyone . It is far easier to call on the blind and very rabid nationalist views which ALL thais share against any other bordering country rather than actually address today’s problems inside the country.

Pathetic, really pathetic.

[geriatrickid]

Oil, Natural Gas. Big motivating factors.

Read the article again. Someone at least acknowledged a fact that too many people overlook.

Besides the disputed territory around the temple, they argue that Unesco status will also increase Phnom Penh's leverage over maritime disputes in the Gulf of Siam and the islands that fall into overlapping territorial claims.

It isn't about the Temple. The government knows it has lost the case. It is about trying to have a better negotiating position in the maritime boundary dispute. The reason that the previous government accepted reality with the Temple was that it wanted to be able to deal with the maritime boundary dispute and it wanted there to be peace on the border. Congratulations to the militarists willing to send kids into minefields to argue over land that was lost long ago. Let them send their own kids to lose limbs and testicles and not conscripts.

[SamritT]

Flag-Waving Will Resolve Thailand-Cambodia Border Issues. If nothing is done, the problem will not go away. See, the PM is already taking action.

[sibeymai]

True, flag waving will not make the problem go away...but it will give the soldiers something to shoot at.

The Taliban solution may be the best...blow it up.