Pm Lauds ' Job Well Done' In The Hague

[notime]

I don't know if they are going to rule that all 4.6 sq km is to go to Cambodia but the only just ruling I can envision is that enough land surrounding the temple must belong to Cambodia to enable proper administering and functioning of the temple, including adequate access.

It's a real shame Thailand is making so much fuss about such a small area and even is threatening Cambodia with 100 year war! Don't these people learn history and how many times their cities were burned down by invasions from outside? War is not a toy-word and the general who issued such threat should be made to resign. But of course this is not going to happen here that just demonstrates Thai altitudes and readiness for ASEAN 2015, sorry 2016 .. or "maybe hopefully never".

[hellodolly]

Thailand is the richest country in SE Asia. Why cant they just give this tiny 4.6 square kilometer piece of land to it's poor neighbour as a magnanimous gesture of good will. How much would their standing in the region and in the World be increased if they did this? When I suggested this to my Thai partner, she was horrified. So I asked her if she would be willing for her teenage son to go to war and fight and die over just 4.6 sq kilos? She shut up then.

..........Further, Both Thailand and Cambodia are supposed to be Buddhist countries. The Buddha renounced everything material he owned, and taught that suffering was caused by our 'clinging attachment' to all things material and physical, e.g., land. He taught that the way to achieve this was to adopt 'The Middle Way' . This sounds to me like the way of 'compromise'. But this dispute over a crumb of land is the very opposite of the Buddha's actual teaching. What are the head honcho monks preaching on this issue? ............Or are they too busy counting their 'donations'?

Lol, please. Thai Buddhism is more culture than anything else, save for a few practicing temples here and there. The 'head haunchos' otherwise known as the supreme Sangha Council reside in Bangkok, which is obviously the best city in Thailand to train monks <~~~ sarcasm.

Hardly anyone would give a d@mn anyways regardless of what they said concerning the situation as it is not one that deals with Sangha affairs, regardless of the Hindu temple and the and the land that surrounds it.

But please, continue to suggest what the should do with their donations, contributed by the Thais that frequent their preferred temples. In fact, go hint at a Thai to stop doing so and see how well that goes. Merit making is the easy way out via the use of money ... And let's get real, that's the face saving factor for more than a few.

If you want to see just how involved the higher ranked monks cam become in whatever issue you can check out the rules and regulations of the transactions they can officially partake in. Good luck in finding a monk who is up to date on them though.

Just because there are temples all over the place doesn't mean they are full of saints, nor the people of the country in which those temples reside.

I hope you people realize this has nothing to do with religion.

Thank God/Allah/Buddha

Religion has caused more wars than any thing else. This is about two countries who have a chance to show the world how well they can work with their neighbors,

Or how petty they can be.

But more than likely politicians who are useless just beating the nationalism drum so no one will look at what they are really doing not doing. Things like making sure the tax money does not wind up in their closet.

[hookedondhamma]

Thailand is the richest country in SE Asia. Why cant they just give this tiny 4.6 square kilometer piece of land to it's poor neighbour as a magnanimous gesture of good will. How much would their standing in the region and in the World be increased if they did this? When I suggested this to my Thai partner, she was horrified. So I asked her if she would be willing for her teenage son to go to war and fight and die over just 4.6 sq kilos? She shut up then.

..........Further, Both Thailand and Cambodia are supposed to be Buddhist countries. The Buddha renounced everything material he owned, and taught that suffering was caused by our 'clinging attachment' to all things material and physical, e.g., land. He taught that the way to achieve this was to adopt 'The Middle Way' . This sounds to me like the way of 'compromise'. But this dispute over a crumb of land is the very opposite of the Buddha's actual teaching. What are the head honcho monks preaching on this issue? ............Or are they too busy counting their 'donations'?

Lol, please. Thai Buddhism is more culture than anything else, save for a few practicing temples here and there. The 'head haunchos' otherwise known as the supreme Sangha Council reside in Bangkok, which is obviously the best city in Thailand to train monks <~~~ sarcasm.

Hardly anyone would give a d@mn anyways regardless of what they said concerning the situation as it is not one that deals with Sangha affairs, regardless of the Hindu temple and the and the land that surrounds it.

But please, continue to suggest what the should do with their donations, contributed by the Thais that frequent their preferred temples. In fact, go hint at a Thai to stop doing so and see how well that goes. Merit making is the easy way out via the use of money ... And let's get real, that's the face saving factor for more than a few.

If you want to see just how involved the higher ranked monks cam become in whatever issue you can check out the rules and regulations of the transactions they can officially partake in. Good luck in finding a monk who is up to date on them though.

Just because there are temples all over the place doesn't mean they are full of saints, nor the people of the country in which those temples reside.

I hope you people realize this has nothing to do with religion.

Thank God/Allah/Buddha

Religion has caused more wars than any thing else. This is about two countries who have a chance to show the world how well they can work with their neighbors,

Or how petty they can be.

But more than likely politicians who are useless just beating the nationalism drum so no one will look at what they are really doing not doing. Things like making sure the tax money does not wind up in their closet.

Well said!

It was not my intent to derail - just makes me uneasy to see people pull out the '100% pure Thai Buddhist' phrases.

People are still people regardless of what they follow, and I think some continue to forget that.

[SunsetT]

Reply to hookedondhamma:

I am not religious, and I am well aware that this border dispute has nothing to do with religion. But it makes ME uneasy that, in a country full of Buddha statues, Buddhist temples, wats, monks and their head honchos preaching on every other TV channel, and a Buddha day every other week, that this dispute over a little piece of land represents the very opposite of the basics that the Buddha actually taught, and no one with authority or Buddhist influence seems to be pointing this out. What's the point of so much 'in your face' religion permeating Thai society if no one actually 'follows' it? I dont know what you mean by 'pulling out 100% Thai Buddhist phrases'. I stated what the Buddha is said to have taught as a Hindu in India. Nothing of which could be considered 100% pure Thai. Are you saying that these 'pure Buddhist phrases' should not be 'pulled out' of the drawer marked 'Sacred' and should somehow be kept separate from real life and real people and this very real situation? Is this what makes you uneasy? If so, then I think you, like most Thai people are missing the point of what the Buddha taught.

[Thaddeus]

Bald guy in a vest, must be an intellectual.

No way, he isn't wearing glasses.

[Thaddeus]

Just going back to the headline, would the current PM know what job well done looked like even if she tripped over one?

[LuckyLew]

Judging by all the pats on the back I am reading about I thought they had already won.

Pretty funny how they call it a Thai team set to the IJC

'He praised Thai envoy Virachai Plasai and the four foreign lawyers for
their strong defence against Cambodia's claims of ownership of the
temple's surrounding area."

Seems more like a team of farangs accompanied by somchai, with somchai getting

all the credit if Thailand win and the foreign lawyers will be blamed if Thailand lose

[Payboy]

Bald guy in a vest, must be an intellectual.

No way, he isn't wearing glasses.

Guess, he has "contacts".

[Bellweather]

"Puangthong said it was premature to expect victory ........especially when considering that all the judges were

non-Thais."

I find this amusing - basically she is saying that Thais must be prepared for a ruling against them, as the judicaiary is not Thai, and hence there is a level playing field!!!

It is an incredible statement.

The only way for us to win would have been to have a loaded bunch of judges. lolololololol

It is an incredible statement but for the fact that TIT.

[lostmebike]

She warned that back in 1962, Thailand also expected to win but did not, so people should prepare themselves, especially when considering that all the judges were non-Thais.

That is a very odd defence argument. We may lose because there were no Thais on the bench. Are we supposed to assume only Thai judges can be expected to understand this issue or is it the Thai case is so weak only a Thai would accept it?

As though, it would be feasible to have a Cambodian or Thai judge sitting on the bench of such a case. If that were the case, why couldn't they have sorted it out at home?

Agreed. Having Thai or Cambodian judges just wasn't an option.

Also,

'Chulalongkorn University political scientist Puangthong Pawakarapan said Thai people should be jubilant about the seemingly well-executed legal fight over disputed land around Preah Vihear Temple in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), but should prepare for a possible negative ruling.'

Jublilant!!! Whatever for?

[Thai at Heart]

She warned that back in 1962, Thailand also expected to win but did not, so people should prepare themselves, especially when considering that all the judges were non-Thais.

That is a very odd defence argument. We may lose because there were no Thais on the bench. Are we supposed to assume only Thai judges can be expected to understand this issue or is it the Thai case is so weak only a Thai would accept it?

As though, it would be feasible to have a Cambodian or Thai judge sitting on the bench of such a case. If that were the case, why couldn't they have sorted it out at home?

Agreed. Having Thai or Cambodian judges just wasn't an option.

Also,

'Chulalongkorn University political scientist Puangthong Pawakarapan said Thai people should be jubilant about the seemingly well-executed legal fight over disputed land around Preah Vihear Temple in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), but should prepare for a possible negative ruling.'

Jublilant!!! Whatever for?

God knows why.

Jubilant? No one has decided yet what the judgement will be. A bunch of foreign lawyers made 95% of the submission.

Thailand shines for what? 99% of the world doesn't know or care about this momentous occasion.

It's like reaching the lads cabs final at Wembley.