Thai-Cambodian Border 'Peace Deal' Agreed In Jakarta

[News_Editor]

Thai, Cambodian foreign ministers agree to Indonesian observers

2011-05-10 05:09:20 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to allow the deployment of Indonesian monitors to their disputed border area, the Bangkok Post reported Monday.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong met after the two countries' prime ministers Abhisit Vejjajiva and Hun Sen failed to reach an agreement during talks at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit on Sunday. The agreement must still be approved by both leaders, however.

"The achievement this afternoon exceeded my expectations," Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said after mediating the talks. "I'm not underestimating the scale of the problem, but they have overcome their mutually exclusive demands."

The two sides had signed up to Indonesia's proposal to send observers to monitor a ceasefire on their common border on February 22 at the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, however, insisted Cambodian troops leave the 4.6-square-kilometer disputed border area before Indonesian observers arrive.

The Cambodian side, meanwhile, had insisted that the monitoring team be deployed before any negotiations on troop withdrawal could resume.

On Sunday, the Chong Jom border crossing opened and over 80% of Thai and Cambodian vendors reopened their stalls at a local market near the border pass on the Thai side.

Tensions first escalated between the two countries in July 2008 following the build-up of military forces near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple. The United Nations Security Council urged both sides to establish a permanent ceasefire after at least 10 people were killed.

Clashes resumed in February as both nations claim the lands surrounding the ancient Hindu Temple, which has been damaged due to the conflict. The Preah Vihear temple dates back to the 11th century and is located on the Cambodian side of the border.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-10

[webfact]

Thai-Cambodian border 'peace deal' in Jakarta

By The Nation

Foreign ministers from Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand agreed in Jakarta yesterday on a new formula for peace to try to settle the border conflict with Cambodia.

The talks may allow the deployment of monitors near the disputed border areas.

Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the two sides agreed to combine all conditions and demands by both sides and to negotiate in one "package". "The progress, the approach that we use, is the package approach. We no longer talked on who must take what in advance before taking next steps, but it is a process, not event by event," Marty said at a press conference after the meeting.

When Thailand submitted a letter of acceptance to the Indonesian observer team, at the same time there was also an announcement of a Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee meeting, he said.

"With this package approach we can coordinate the efforts.

The result is quiet optimal, [so] we will wait for the response from each government," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-05-10

[LomSak27]

Ahh, all last week the Thai papers quoted Abh and the Dems stating they would under NO circumstances negotiate at the Asean meeting in jakarta.

If they say they won't more than twice must mean they will ...

[whybother]

Ahh, all last week the Thai papers quoted Abh and the Dems stating they would under NO circumstances negotiate at the Asean meeting in jakarta.

If they say they won't more than twice must mean they will ...

They didn't. It was negotiated after the summit.

[SomTumTiger]

So now, the TV pundits are mad that the Dems negotiated for peace, because they liked the status quo?

Seems that Hun Sen as figured out that he has used up all the PR capital from this particular issue, and gotten his son enough "combat" experience, to assure him "Dictator for Life" status, that Hun Sen currently enjoys.

[givenall]

Ahh, all last week the Thai papers quoted Abh and the Dems stating they would under NO circumstances negotiate at the Asean meeting in jakarta.

If they say they won't more than twice must mean they will ...

Never say never in politics. everthing is a fair game

[webfact]

Cambodia Unveils Trilateral Meeting Results

Cambodia has reported that six agreements have been reached involving the smoldering Thai-Cambodian border dispute, after the Foreign Affairs ministers of Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia met yesterday.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Nam Hong said that the Foreign Affairs ministers of Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia met on May 9 to reach six agreements regarding the Thai-Cambodian border situation.

According to Hor Nam Hong, the first and second agreement calls for Thailand to accept the Terms of Reference or TOR relating to the Indonesian observers, and that the General Border Committee or GBC and the Joint Boundary Committee or JBC should hold a meeting on the same day.

This means once Thailand sends the Letter of Acceptance to Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia should hold the GBC and the JBC meetings on that day.

The third and fourth items suggest that Indonesia will send observers within five days after Thailand sends the TOR to the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister.

The last two agendas say that within 10 days after Thailand sends the TOR, Indonesia will dispatch all its observers, or the Full Assignment, to the border area in question.

The three countries' foreign affairs ministers also pledged to seek acknowledgement from their governments as soon as possible.

Hor Nam Hong added that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen insisted on the necessity of the Indonesian observers regarding the GBC and JBC meetings involving the Preah Vihear temple.

Meanwhile, they said it is acceptable to organize a bilateral meeting to address the Ta Mon and Ta Krabei ruins, and that the meeting can be held either in Thailand or Cambodia.

-- Tan Network 2011-05-10

[Credo]

It's nice that the Thai Foreign Minister agrees to observers. Now I hope that the Thai military agrees as well.

[webfact]

Thailand and Cambodia Agreed to Resume General Border Committee

The Thai and Cambodian foreign ministers have agreed to resume the General Border Committee meeting before discussing troop withdrawal or international observer deployment.

Yesterday, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong attended a three-hour talk mediated by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. After the meeting, Natalegawa announced that both Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to resume the General Border Committee or the GBC talk to ease tensions and avoid more border clashes.

Natalegawa also added that Indonesia, which current holds ASEAN Chairmanship, has proposed that the talk be conducted step-by-step with a clear time-frame. The negotiation guideline will be effective once ratified by both countries.

The negotiation between Thailand and Cambodia on the border issue has been in gridlock because both have refused to back down from their positions. The Thai government has insisted that Cambodian soldiers and settlements must first vacate from the disputed area around the Preah Vihear Temple before any talks can take place.

Prime Minister Abhsit Vejjajiva also said at the ASEAN Summit that Cambodia has violated international laws and World Heritage Committee guidelines by positioning its troops at the temple. Also, the border clashes took place more than 100 kilometers from the Preah Vihear Temple, thus the deployment of international observers there would serve no purpose.

Many political pundits believe that yesterday's talk was nothing more than an attempt to buy time rather than to actually settle the dispute. They predict the dispute will continue despite the GBC meeting. In addition, Abhisit has recently announced House dissolution, which will further delay ratification of any international agreement.

-- Tan Network 2011-05-10

[fatfather]

So now, the TV pundits are mad that the Dems negotiated for peace, because they liked the status quo?

Seems that Hun Sen as figured out that he has used up all the PR capital from this particular issue, and gotten his son enough "combat" experience, to assure him "Dictator for Life" status, that Hun Sen currently enjoys.

Correct so far. Major General Hun Manet has got his combat experience and can now earn some more postive credits on the diplomatic level on which he is still naked till up now... Despite of all this politics, the villagers in the "fighting area" on Thai side had been informed by their headmen to be "ready to leave" in case of....

fatfather