Thai Military Opposes Cambodia Border Talks In Indonesia

[webfact]

Military opposes Cambodia border talks in Indonesia

By PIYANART SRIVALO

NUTIDA PUANGTHONG

THE NATION

Prayuth asks Phnom Penh to host GBC meeting, opposes Indonesian observers in disputed territory

One of the two scheduled meetings between Thailand and Cambodia's two border committees will not take place in Indonesia next month as the Thai military opposes holding talks in a third country, senior government officials said yesterday.

Indonesia, as Asean chair, had called parallel meetings of the General Border Committee (GBC) and the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) on April 7-8 in Bogor, to find ways to settle the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

Doubts arose about the meetings after Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Army chief Prayut Chan-ocha said they did not want the military-run GBC to meet in a third country. The meeting should be held either in Cambodia or Thailand, Defence Ministry spokesman Thanathip Sawangsaeng said.

"The GBC is a bilateral mechanism on border affairs between Thailand and Cambodia. We have never had a meeting in a third country," he said.

Prawit said he had sent a letter to his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh to ask whether Phnom Penh was ready to host the next GBC meeting. "I believe Cambodia would call a GBC meeting soon," he said.

Following a recommendation from the United Nations Security Council, Asean had planned to facilitate the peace arrangement between Thailand and Cambodia after a major border skirmish in February. It proposed sending Indonesian observers to the disputed areas adjacent to the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear.

Jakarta said yesterday that as Asean chair it was waiting for approval of observers from both host countries. Phnom Penh has already replied it was ready to accept the observers, but Thailand was reluctant as the military said the plan should be discussed in the GBC meeting first.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva tried to gloss over the disagreement, saying the military would participate in the GBC meeting eventually, but it would not hold it parallel with the Foreign Ministry-run JBC.

The JBC is a bilateral mechanism for land boundary demarcation. Its progress was stalled when the Thai Parliament delayed approving the minutes of previous meetings. Parliament will discuss the documents today.

"At this stage, the JBC would be an important forum to talk over the boundary matters, including the Indonesian observers," Abhisit said.

Both countries should examine the way the Indonesians plan to carry out their observation, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban echoed the military opinion, saying Thailand would not allow any foreign officials to be stationed in the disputed area. "We have to discuss details of the observation first," he said.

Abhisit also said he did not want to see Indonesian observers in the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area claimed by Thailand and Cambodia.

-- The Nation 2011-03-25

[asiawatcher]

Holding the meeting on neutral territory is sensible but at least the military have asked Phnom Penh to provide the venue, showing Thai Military are not opposed to working on and in their neighbours country. Maybe there is some chance of success for the border dispute.

[webfact]

Thailand and Cambodia to Agree on Observers Issue before Meeting in Indonesia

The Thai and Cambodian governments are to tentatively agree on the issue of observers in the disputed area before bilateral talks take place in Indonesia.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya has reported that the meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border and Joint Boundary Committees will be held in Bogor, Indonesia from April 7 to 8.

Kasit said he and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong have been invited by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa to attend the meeting, in which the deployment plan for Indonesian observers will be discussed.

It has been proposed that each of the two teams of 15 observers will be placed on both sides of the border to monitor the situation.

The exact details of the deployment are currently being worked out by the Thai and Cambodian Defense ministries.

Previously, Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha expressed opposition to having Indonesian observers deployed in the disputed area along the Thai-Cambodian border.

The Thai foreign minister will ask the observers not to enter the 4.6-square kilometer area around Preah Vihear Temple, because the fighting did not take place there and they are not to be in military uniforms.

At any rate, the Thai and Cambodian governments will try to compose the exact details of the deployment before the talk in Indonesia.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-25

[Oberkommando]

Holding the meeting on neutral territory is sensible but at least the military have asked Phnom Penh to provide the venue, showing Thai Military are not opposed to working on and in their neighbours country. Maybe there is some chance of success for the border dispute.

You completely miss the point that Thailand is rejecting third party mediation regardless of where the venue is and still trying to pursue the already failed bilateral route.

One wonders what it is they are scared of.

[geovalin]

Multilateral: NO WAY, tells Thailand

Bilateral: Thailand is torpedoing the process, refusing to examine the minutes of 3 JBC meetings.

So

only

one

solution

:

UNILATERAL

[truethailand]

Holding the meeting on neutral territory is sensible but at least the military have asked Phnom Penh to provide the venue, showing Thai Military are not opposed to working on and in their neighbours country. Maybe there is some chance of success for the border dispute.

You completely miss the point that Thailand is rejecting third party mediation regardless of where the venue is and still trying to pursue the already failed bilateral route.

One wonders what it is they are scared of.

Stalling tactics also..one meeting cancelled next month. They dont want a resolution and I am pretty certain that the army may be pre occupied with something else if this dispute runs into the summer. Oh by the way Abhisit and Suthep echo the words of the army, surely the army should be echoing the words of a government in a democracy. The government controls the army...oops keep forgetting

Edited March 25, 2011 by truethailand