Thailand 'Split On Observers'

[webfact]

Thailand 'split on observers'

By Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

Issue is too sensitive to be resolved at present, NSC's Tawin concedes

Indonesia, as the chair of Asean, is still waiting for an answer from Thailand on sending its observers to the border disputed areas near the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear - while many government officials in Bangkok remain without a consensus on where the observers should be placed.

Thailand is still studying the Indonesia-proposed term of reference (TOR) for the observation, said Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa.

Marty was in Bangkok yesterday for an informal meeting of Asean foreign ministers in preparation for an East Asia Summit.

Border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia was one issue discussed by the Asean ministers, but no clear solution emerged to settle the dispute.

Indonesia, as requested by the United Nations Security Council, would implement the permanent cease-fire plan between Thailand and Cambodia by dispatching a group of Indonesian observers to the disputed areas.

Phnom Penh said earlier it was ready to welcome the observers and would place them at the border disputed areas near Preah Vihear - but Thailand hesitated to honour the plan saying observers should not be placed in the 4.6 square kilometres area surrounding the Preah Vihear, as it absolutely belongs to Thailand.

Cambodian foreign minister Hor Namhong earlier expressed his disappointment over the Thai hesitation to receive the observers.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday the Indonesian observers should not be military officers, although they were unarmed.

National Security Council Secretary Tawin Pleansri said Thailand had not yet made a decision on the Indonesian observers since the issue was too sensitive.

"We have a clear stance on not allowing foreign observers to go into the 4.6 square kilometre area (adjacent to the Preah Vihear)," Tawin told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads over the Hindu temple for years. The Preah Vihear, ruled by the International Court of Justice since 1962, is situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia, but Thailand argues the surrounding area belongs to it. Cambodia in turn claims the area is under its sovereignty, creating an overlapping area of 4.6 square kilometres.

The conflict at Preah Vihear led to a military clash in February, which claimed some 10 lives including civilians on both sides. Cambodia brought the issue into discussion with the UN and Asean.

Indonesian foreign minister Marty reaffirmed yesterday the observer team is not a major goal, but just an instrument to ensure stability at the border between Thailand and Cambodia.

Indonesia's concern is based on its role as Asean chair. The situation between the two countries is improving, which made the meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in Bogor last week possible, he said.

However Cambodian foreign minister Hor Namhong told Cambodian local media after the Bogor meeting that he considered the JBC meeting a failure as the body could not achieve any significant move toward land boundary demarcation.

The JBC merely looked at some technicalities on the boundary survey - such as the preparing of a technical team to search for border pillars numbered 1 to 23, aerial photos looking for old border posts, and the opening of Stung Bot border crossing in Banteay Meanchey province, he said.

The JBC moved at a snail's pace as Thailand proposed to wait for the approval from its Parliament of the minutes of the JBC meetings in 2008 and 2009, he added.

-- The Nation 2011-04-12

[SomTumTiger]

I think that Thailand is in the wrong on this issue. Countries with nothing to hide, don't fear having their records put up for examination. I hope they change their mind. I also hope they don't buy those stupid submarines.

[mania2301]

Indonesia has failed & so does the whole ASEAN community....they have all fail in settling this border issue. It's now time for the UNSC to step in & send in their own peace keeping troops. Thailand is just trying to buy time as the election is just round the corner. This current regime knows well enough that they will not win this border dispute from the first day. They are just waiting for the next government to do it thus keeping his record (PM) as Mr. Clean intact. The whole world knows whats going on & how fickel minded this current regime is. It's more like fighting or arguing with little kids on a playground. Their might have the latest war weapons compared to Cambodia but money will not but experience. The Cambodians have years of war experience in their ranks. The Thais are just being arrogant thinking that they have all the new toys to play with.

[asiawatcher]

The temple is not so much the issue, rather the land surrounding it. The Thai's have lived on this stretch of land for centuries and that is why they keep fighting for the 4.6km land area. There can be no doubt on ownership, but Cambodia is trying to rely on the two mappings and trying to grab both the temple and the land. This is not going to go away any time soon.

This is he same as the south where Malays have taken Thai land and are trying to impose their way of life in the Thai community and the Thai's won't give up. The fighting and the disputes will continue about Thailand's apparent shrinking borders.

Edited April 12, 2011 by asiawatcher

[applez]

^you must be new to thailand and still wrapped up in the nice fantasy world its locals live in.

Before you make ignorant comments again you should get your facts before spitting out bs.

Do your research on the khmer and malay empires first and see who has been living there for "centuries".

[whybother]

^you must be new to thailand and still wrapped up in the nice fantasy world its locals live in.

Before you make ignorant comments again you should get your facts before spitting out bs.

Do your research on the khmer and malay empires first and see who has been living there for "centuries".

Do you have a time line as to when the Khmer were living in the area? Maybe 6-700 years ago?

That's the problem when you try to go back in history and say "we/they were here first". There was nearly always someone else there before that.

[applez]

^actually its over 1000 years ago and more, it is known fact (internationally) that the Khmer's were in mainland SEA before any Tai and Viet expansion into the area from Southern China.

I guess I can't blame the moronic comments of some users here as they only know what locals teach and tell them, which is always biased - obviously! I'm surprised that many actually believe them when many complain about its education and quasi democratic system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_history_of_Cambodia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Malaysia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Thailand

It's not hard to use google and wiki...

[whybother]

^actually its over 1000 years ago and more, it is known fact (internationally) that the Khmer's were in mainland SEA before any Tai and Viet expansion into the area from Southern China.

I guess I can't blame the moronic comments of some users here as they only know what locals teach and tell them, which is always biased - obviously! I'm surprised that many actually believe them when many complain about its education and quasi democratic system.

http://en.wikipedia....ory_of_Cambodia

http://en.wikipedia....ory_of_Malaysia

http://en.wikipedia....ory_of_Thailand

It's not hard to use google and wiki...

OK, so because the Khmers were there 1000 years ago, they should be given back the land now? Should they get back all of the land that they occupied at the time?

[Soutpeel]

^actually its over 1000 years ago and more, it is known fact (internationally) that the Khmer's were in mainland SEA before any Tai and Viet expansion into the area from Southern China.

I guess I can't blame the moronic comments of some users here as they only know what locals teach and tell them, which is always biased - obviously! I'm surprised that many actually believe them when many complain about its education and quasi democratic system.

http://en.wikipedia....ory_of_Cambodia

http://en.wikipedia....ory_of_Malaysia

http://en.wikipedia....ory_of_Thailand

It's not hard to use google and wiki...

So by your rational we should be giving the US back to the native american indian's and Aussie back to the Aborigines as this only occured a few hundred years ago ? and tell every US citizen is is not a a native American Indian to p*ss off back the where they came from ?

I would suggest you are the one who is living in a fantasy land....