Thai Legal Team: Romanian Expert Becomes Star At The I C J

[webfact]

SPECIAL REPORT
Romanian expert becomes star at the ICJ
Supalak Ganjanakhundee,
Budsarakham Sinlapalavan
The Nation
The Hague


Miron

THE HAGUE: -- Alina Miron, co-counsel on the Thai legal team that is presenting the country's case in the Preah Vihear land dispute before the world court, smiled in surprise when told she had become a celebrity in Thailand.

Her strong presentation and photogenic appearance on the court's TV screens have left many people following the case impressed. Also, many are curious about Miron and how she came to be a member of the Thai team.

Thailand's agent in the case, Virachai Plasai, said that Wednesday's appearance was Miron's first before the world court, and that she did a great job of explaining Thailand's position on the maps Cambodia is using to make its case.

"I trust her when it comes to presenting this important topic to the court, and she did an impressive job," he said.

Virachai said he had spent a long time studying the maps with Miron, adding that her knowledge was very helpful. Miron is a Romanian with a solid educational background in public international law at universities in France, including the Universite Paris-Ouest Nanterre la Defense, Universite Paris-Ouest la Defense and Universite des Sciences Sociales.

In the world court case, Miron is serving as assistant to the team's lead counsel, Prof Alain Pellet. She has worked with Pellet on many cases, advocating on behalf of Slovenia, Russia, Greece and Nicaragua.

Miron speaks many languages. Romanian is her mother tongue, but she also speaks French and English fluently. Her command of Italian is also good.

Thai social media have been gripped by the "Alina Miron fever". Bloggers, along with Thai senators attending the trial at The Hague in the Netherlands, have praised Miron for her sound reasoning, which they believe will convince the world that Cambodia does not have the right to a 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area near the temple.

Appointed Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn posted a message on Facebook praising Miron's politeness and her technique of reasoning. He said her use of pictures and maps to make comparisons have made Thailand confident of winning the case. "[Another senator] could not help but compliment her, telling her in person that she was 'excellent'," Somchai said.

Senator Kamnoon Sithisamarn said Miron demolished Cambodia's argument, which is based on the Annex I map, dismissing it and turning the courtroom's attention to maps introduced by Thailand in the 1962 case.

A blogger called "Sai Trong Paksanam" said Miron pointed out credible and technical problems with Cambodia's Annex I map, saying it has been altered and contradicted geographically. Miron said the Thai team has found there are six different versions of the Annex I map.

The blogger received 5,000 "likes" and 2,310 "shares" 22 hours after posting.

Sermsuk Kasitipradit, a Thai PBS reporter, posted pictures of Miron and a message on his Facebook page and received 700 "likes".

"Miron fever" also gripped the Pantip website, thanks to blogger "BaaD" with his blog "Netizens praise Miron after her taking to pieces Cambodia's Annex I map".

On Twitter, @SupotNTV wrote that Miron was brave in making her observations, saying that "Cambodia's map is not accurate but I could not believe that the country has altered the map." Within 18 hours, this message was re-tweeted 232 times. @doubletoyy tweeted that though Miron is not Thai, she carried out her duty better than Thai officials. She posted pictures of Miron on pic.twitter.com/DhCi9ewIOK


-- The Nation 2013-04-19

[NongKhaiKid]

A Romanian " expert " on a Thai - Cambodian border dispute ? Is she just another Yingluck who looks good and changes her clothes a lot ? Wonder how much she travels too ?

[ianf]

A Romanian " expert " on a Thai - Cambodian border dispute ? Is she just another Yingluck who looks good and changes her clothes a lot ? Wonder how much she travels too ?

A bit sexist and unfair. The poster speaks without knowledge.

Edited April 18, 2013 by ianf

[Thai at Heart]

She'd better hope they win, or she may end up rather infamous.

[Bellweather]

A Romanian " expert " on a Thai - Cambodian border dispute ? Is she just another Yingluck who looks good and changes her clothes a lot ? Wonder how much she travels too ?

A bit sexist and unfair. The poster speaks without knowledge.

Oh common on, the poster will crucify her if it all goes wrong as no way it could be the fault of the Thai case

[Somtamnication]

Another good example that in Thailand, over substance, face is EVERYTHING.

[rkidlad]

Will we see people in Thailand wearing Romanian football shirts soon?

[Thai at Heart]

Will we see people in Thailand wearing Romanian football shirts soon?

They play in yellow don't they?

[kartman]

Does she have a Thai Work Permit?

[arthurboy]

@doubletoyy tweeted that though Miron is not Thai, she carried out her duty better than Thai officials.

Now there's a surprise.

[bigbamboo]

Will we see people in Thailand wearing Romanian football shirts soon?

They play in yellow don't they?

I believe so. And an appropriately royal colour as all Thais are royalists, aren't they?

[Payboy]

Miron speaks many languages. Romanian is her mother tongue, but she also speaks French and English fluently. Her command of Italian is also good.

Not long before everyone's also gushing about her most beautiful style of giving the "wai".

[Thai at Heart]

Miron speaks many languages. Romanian is her mother tongue, but she also speaks French and English fluently. Her command of Italian is also good.

Not long before everyone's also gushing about her most beautiful style of giving the "wai".

Or her long love of tom yam Goong.

[DocN]

Thailand asking for help of a farang?

Clutching at straws, I presume?

[BrianCR]

Now we are hitting out at a westerner helping in an International court case and making derisive comments about a person (and a country) that, it appears, many posters believe they understand but it truth they have no understanding of at all. I think the lady should be allowed to charm both Thailand and the court and do her job! My guess is that she would be well above the comments posted here

[DocN]

Now we are hitting out at a westerner helping in an International court case and making derisive comments about a person (and a country) that, it appears, many posters believe they understand but it truth they have no understanding of at all. I think the lady should be allowed to charm both Thailand and the court and do her job! My guess is that she would be well above the comments posted here

...especially yours!

[asiasurfer]

Whatever the outcome of this trial is gonna be: I don't think either Thailand nor Cambodia will wage an all out war for a bit of hill site...

[Morakot]

The usual Thai media garbage!

How routine practices by a team of experts presenting at the International Court of Justice all of a sudden becomes so exciting. And what have we learned?

The blogger received 5,000 "likes" and 2,310 "shares" 22 hours after posting.

[rijb]

Now we are hitting out at a westerner helping in an International court case and making derisive comments about a person (and a country) that, it appears, many posters believe they understand but it truth they have no understanding of at all. I think the lady should be allowed to charm both Thailand and the court and do her job! My guess is that she would be well above the comments posted here

It's just the daily dose of silly nonsense from The Nation, and clueless posters eager to lap it up.

[Dork]

A Romanian " expert " on a Thai - Cambodian border dispute ? Is she just another Yingluck who looks good and changes her clothes a lot ? Wonder how much she travels too ?

When I read this story my thoughts were Wow, what an impressive and obviously sophisticated woman. To be able to understand a complicated case from completely another part of the world, present a cohesive case in a forum like the ICJ and do it in your 2nd or 3rd language is something to be admired. And she is good looking to boot.

Which makes me wonder, how did you read the same report and come up with something so negative? Is it something that happens to foreigners living in Isaan too long?

[Thai at Heart]

A Romanian " expert " on a Thai - Cambodian border dispute ? Is she just another Yingluck who looks good and changes her clothes a lot ? Wonder how much she travels too ?

That's why you employ intelligent lawyers with training. They don't need to visit the area ( although there is no proof they didn't), they are intelligent enough to grasp the concept legally instead of emotionally.

Ooooh, how could someone understand a border issue, because Thailand is so unusual no foreigner possibly could. What piffle.

[rijb]

I had to look up 'piffle'. Good one!

[BrianCR]

Now we are hitting out at a westerner helping in an International court case and making derisive comments about a person (and a country) that, it appears, many posters believe they understand but it truth they have no understanding of at all. I think the lady should be allowed to charm both Thailand and the court and do her job! My guess is that she would be well above the comments posted here

...especially yours!

What is that supposed to mean? It makes no sense. I don't know what medication you're on but I want some!

[noitom]

Thais seem to think that the ICJ are fools not to understand that this "dispute" is/was initiated by Thailand as a "political" issue. It is clearly and has been a political issue raised to further agenda within Thailand. Cambodia knows this and so does the court. Anyone following Thai "happenings" would be clear that this about Thai politics and Thai posturing among themselves.

[BrianCR]

Thais seem to think that the ICJ are fools not to understand that this "dispute" is/was initiated by Thailand as a "political" issue. It is clearly and has been a political issue raised to further agenda within Thailand. Cambodia knows this and so does the court. Anyone following Thai "happenings" would be clear that this about Thai politics and Thai posturing among themselves.

Can you share with us your inside information? By the way the ICJ is supposed to be impartial and made up of many judges, all from different countries, sitting together to hear both sides of a case

[DocN]

Now we are hitting out at a westerner helping in an International court case and making derisive comments about a person (and a country) that, it appears, many posters believe they understand but it truth they have no understanding of at all. I think the lady should be allowed to charm both Thailand and the court and do her job! My guess is that she would be well above the comments posted here

...especially yours!

What is that supposed to mean? It makes no sense. I don't know what medication you're on but I want some!

You understand very well!

[DocN]

Thais seem to think that the ICJ are fools not to understand that this "dispute" is/was initiated by Thailand as a "political" issue. It is clearly and has been a political issue raised to further agenda within Thailand. Cambodia knows this and so does the court. Anyone following Thai "happenings" would be clear that this about Thai politics and Thai posturing among themselves.

Can you share with us your inside information? By the way the ICJ is supposed to be impartial and made up of many judges, all from different countries, sitting together to hear both sides of a case

Which exactly they did, many years ago and ruled (as far as I know) that the temple belongs to Cambodia.

IMHO it is common sense, that the LAND on which the temple stands also belongs to Cambodia, otherwise how are the Cambodians to get there?

But as Common sense has not much space in Thailand, this has to be ruled again.

...and now put on your yellow shirt and praise Thailand as the paradise it is...

[Globeman]

A Romanian " expert " on a Thai - Cambodian border dispute ? Is she just another Yingluck who looks good and changes her clothes a lot ? Wonder how much she travels too ?

Yeah, that was the Thai legal team's strategy... Hire a pretty farang woman with good fashion sense to make the case, even though she is, in reality, useless. Why didn't the rest of us see this ruse for what it clearly is?

[Globeman]

Whatever the outcome of this trial is gonna be: I don't think either Thailand nor Cambodia will wage an all out war for a bit of hill site...

No, but they might keep up an ongoing skirmish as a convenient political smokescreen for other contentious issues...

[ianf]

A Romanian " expert " on a Thai - Cambodian border dispute ? Is she just another Yingluck who looks good and changes her clothes a lot ? Wonder how much she travels too ?

Yeah, that was the Thai legal team's strategy... Hire a pretty farang woman with good fashion sense to make the case, even though she is, in reality, useless. Why didn't the rest of us see this ruse for what it clearly is?

And how do you know she is useless? Is this an assumption or a fact?