Cambodia Lambastes Abhisit

[webfact]

Cambodia lambastes Abhisit

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

Accuses PM of sparking tensions, starting a 'toxic' pro-war campaign

Cambodia yesterday slammed Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, saying he was incapable of leading a government or being a member of Asean or even the United Nations.

Abhisit showed his true character when he joined a gathering organised by the alarmist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which is behaving like Cambodia's enemy and threatening to revoke the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the border demarcation, a statement from Cambodia's Office of the Council of Ministers said.

Tensions were sparked when Abhisit declared that under the 1962 International Court of Justice ruling, only the Preah Vihear ruins belonged to Cambodia, while the surrounding area belonged to Thailand, the statement read.

Abhisit has flip-flopped on the implementation of the MoU as his government stalled the progress of the joint boundary committee, it said.

The two countries have been at loggerheads, engaging in a war of words over the temple as Thailand continues to oppose the temple's World Heritage inscription over fears of losing its territory.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Abhisit sent separate letters to the UN explaining and clarifying their accounts accusing each other of border encroachment.

In his letters, Abhisit said that Hun Sen had "misquoted, taken out of context and misunderstood" him in an earlier letter to the UN that accused the Thai PM of threatening to use military force to settle the border dispute.

However, the Cambodian government's statement said that Abhisit was just shifting the blame to the media because he wanted to avoid responsibility and hide his true intentions. It said the prime minister had intensified the "toxic" campaign of getting the public to accept Thailand's use of force against Cambodia.

PAD, which is a major ally of Abhisit's government, demanded he revoke the MoU on boundary demarcation signed in 2000 and use military force to remove Cambodians living in the areas adjacent to Preah Vihear.

Abhisit said he would not revoke the MoU, because it was a key, useful instrument for border settlement. "It is Thailand's conviction that any differences between countries can be settled by peaceful means," Abhisit said in his letters to the UN Security Council and General Assembly.

Under the MoU, the two countries set up a joint boundary committee (JBC) to survey and demarcate the boundary, but it has made little progress so far. The minutes of three JBC meetings are now pending parliamentary approval as required by the Constitution and JBC cannot resume its negotiations about the border.

The Thai-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC), another joint mechanism on border affairs, had to postpone a meeting due late this month indefinitely due to the war of words between the two leaders.

The GBC, co-chaired by the defence ministers from the two nations, was meant to have its seventh meeting in Pattaya on August 27-28.

Cambodia's Defence Minister Tea Banh proposed that the forum be postponed because relevant documents were not ready yet, the Thai Defence Ministry's spokesman Colonel Thanathip Savangsaeng said.

"It is not abnormal for the GBC to postpone meetings when either side is not ready," the spokesman said, adding that the tension between the two governments was not the reason for the delay.

Relations between the militaries of both countries remained good and the border situation was normal, he said.

However, an informed source said the tension was really the reason, because Tea Banh was worried about Thai and Cambodian people's sentiments over Preah Vihear.

On the other hand, Thanathip said the GBC had nothing to do with the temple dispute because it had to discuss several other issues on border affairs, including military cooperation, anti-narcotics cooperation and maritime

-- The Nation 2010-08-12

[metroman]

Have the police appoint me PM and I will set up a joint commission between Cambodia and Thailand to set up a first class tourist attraction.

I would give the police the parking concession.

[SomTumTiger]

Hun Sen - Next on trial for the Khmer Rouge? One can only hope.

[Mario2008]

1 post and a reply to it deleted for making libelous statements.

[Thailand]

"Abhisit showed his true character when he joined a gathering organised by the alarmist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which is behaving like Cambodia's enemy and threatening to revoke the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the border demarcation, a statement from Cambodia's Office of the Council of Ministers said."

Not exactly the smartest move amongst other not so smart moves.

With the temple, simply make a joint enterprise charge farangs and "khon tahng prahtet คนต่างประเทศ" 500 baht and Thai's & Cambodians 10 baht and share the bounty.

Oops,Cambodians are คนต่างประเทศ, back to the drawing board.

[canuckamuck]

Does anybody else see the irony over this attachment to a Buddhist Wat.

[LikeHeat]

One has to wonder why the Cambodians are so focused on specific Thai people and groups, and will go as far as judge them. It is not very diplomatic and I smell their special advisor's role in this. Are they trying to distract the audience so the magician can pull his rabbit out at the end of the year?

[webfact]

A suspension was given

1 post and the reply to it deleted

/Admin

[zthyadat]

Hun Sen - Next on trial for the Khmer Rouge? One can only hope.

Yes, but not because of this issue - on this one he's right.

It is a very fond hope though and about as likely as the moon falling out of the sky.

[KireB]

One has to wonder why the Cambodians are so focused on specific Thai people and groups, and will go as far as judge them. It is not very diplomatic and I smell their special advisor's role in this. Are they trying to distract the audience so the magician can pull his rabbit out at the end of the year?

I am afraid you could be right, which makes this whole spat highly dangerous!

[Ricardo]

Perhaps they would prefer to have their new economic-adviser back in-charge here, someone they could 'do business with', so to speak ? Sorry ... that's so cynical !

[ChiangMaiFun]

Does anybody else see the irony over this attachment to a Buddhist Wat.

haha yes... it is an irony for sure

[dumball]

One has to wonder why the Cambodians are so focused on specific Thai people and groups, and will go as far as judge them. It is not very diplomatic and I smell their special advisor's role in this. Are they trying to distract the audience so the magician can pull his rabbit out at the end of the year?

Not been around TV too long I can see , posters need to be specific , because should they wave an arm in a generalised motion , they are liable to be castigated for the next six or so pages for calling ALL Thai this or that or the other .

Had you watched Hun Sen on Cambodian television , just the length of his wordy speach would convince you it all came from him , he does not need an advisor , he at least is at the helm of his country , like him or not , Abisit (SP) is merely a pawn to be wrapped around fingers on a whim .

Distraction of the people to a futile cause , happens to be a Thai trait as far as I have noticed , whilst the locals mingle happily as they have done for many a year .

[march]

It takes two to tango

Cambodian actions have also deepened the dispute. Ou Virak, President of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, said

Prime Minister Hun Sen’s own use of the Preah Vihear issue as an electoral tactic in 2008 had fuelled a dispute that he now “does not know how to stop”.

He described the appointment of Thaksin as an economic adviser as a “mistake” that had allowed Thai nationalists to put a further obstacle in the way of a negotiated solution.

- Phnom Penh Post

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010081041128/National-news/border-spat-set-to-drag-on.html

[bangkokburning]

Preah Vihear is a Hindu Temple

It is located on sovereign Cambodian soil.

I don't understand the fuss.

Thai's:

Are not Hindu

Do not like people of this region

Do not like Khmer people

Do not have any legal basis to make a claim to Preah Vihear

This nation is so self absorbed and grubbing these years...Land of Smiles? Remember that gag?

Maybe they should move the troops to the south and take on some real issues.

[march]

Preah Vihear is a Hindu Temple

Thai's:

Are not Hindu

Are Cambodians?

[SomTumTiger]

What a sad issue. two countries fighting over nothing...

[MaiChai]

I hear all of this is hiding the real issue which is oil concessions and boundary dispute in the Gulf of Thailand. Obviously there is more at stake here than an old temple and national pride. Large deposits of oil and gas.

[MaiChai]

Preah Vihear is a Hindu Temple

Thai's:

Are not Hindu

Are Cambodians?

Not noticed any Ganesh shrines in Thailand? Hinduism: mother of all Indian religions. Many Indian religions have their roots in Hinduism and Buddhism is no exception. You also get Hindu monks in Thailand (and they are everywhere). Your spirit house would probably have had it position determined by a Hindu monk? Religion is not so clear cut in Thailand. My tuppence worth.

[Piengrudee]

In the last meeting between the 2, they love each other. PM Mark even have a press conference to say that they are now good friends. Everybody is speculating that Thaksin miss a payment. Perhaps the cheque did not bounce after all.