Preah Vihear dispute: Bilateral plan to handle ICJ fallout

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PREAH VIHEAR DISPUTE
Bilateral plan to handle ICJ fallout
The Nation



Govt to talk to Phnom Penh about ways to counter strife over temple verdict

BANGKOK: -- Cambodia has agreed to set up a joint working group with Thailand to avoid any potential conflict following the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on Preah Vihear Temple, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said yesterday.

Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong has agreed with the initiative in a phone conversation with Surapong. The two ministers will meet once the Thai side has finalised members appointed to the working group.

"It's possible to have a meeting with our Cambodian counterparts before the ICJ verdict on November 11," Surapong told reporters.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen have also agreed not to let the court battle affect bilateral relations, said Surapong, adding the court's judgement on the Hindu temple would not jeopardise present good relations between the two countries.

The ICJ has set a November 11 deadline to deliver its judgement on the interpretation of the 1962 verdict on Preah Vihear. The concerned parties in Thailand have expressed fear that the verdict might ignite ill feeling against the Yingluck government and Cambodia.

Conservative nationalists currently staging anti-government protests could accuse the government of being responsible for losing territory to Cambodia, if the verdict goes against Thailand.

Somboon Thongburan, leader of the Thai Patriotic Front, said his group would begin its protests against the ICJ on October 22 with petitions to the embassies of the UN Security Council's permanent members, asking them to exercise their veto against the ICJ ruling, if Thailand loses the case.

The group also wants the government to reject the world court's jurisdiction as it fears the court will rule that the territory adjacent to Preah Vihear Temple belongs to Cambodia, he said.

National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general Lt-General Paradorn Pattanathabut said security agencies would keep a close eye on those groups who could stir up political trouble, and trigger a military clash with Cambodia.

The NSC has been coordinating with the local authority and residents in Si Sa Ket province to better understand the Preah Vihear case, as well as local relations with Cambodia. "Our intelligence confirms that villagers [in the border areas] don't want war, so we have urged them to inform us if they see any irregularities in the area," Paradorn said.

A security source revealed that a group of people with close connections to the 2006 coup-makers had also set up a camp in the border area under the pretext of carrying out "environmental protection activities". The group, however, was unable to clarify what it was doing there.

Yingluck will call a meeting of security agencies today to assess the situation over the verdict and its consequences.

Foreign Minister Surapong said he would propose that the prime minister consider a group of border-related agencies for the proposed Thai-Cambodian joint working group on Preah Vihear, including the joint boundary committee and general border committee.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has questioned the rationale behind Yingluck's trip to Ethiopia from November 10-12 when the ICJ delivers its verdict. "Yingluck should explain to the public why she has to travel abroad during such a sensitive period," he said. "If I were the prime minister, I would not go abroad during this time," said Abhisit, declining to speculate on the outcome of the verdict.


-- The Nation 2013-10-21

[fab4]

Meanwhile, opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has questioned the rationale behind Yingluck's trip to Ethiopia from November 10-12 when the ICJ delivers its verdict. "Yingluck should explain to the public why she has to travel abroad during such a sensitive period," he said. "If I were the prime minister, I would not go abroad during this time," said Abhisit, declining to speculate on the outcome of the verdict.

What a refreshing difference to have a non-war mongering PM running the country.

The only reason Abhisit would not have left the country whilst the decision was being made was because he would have wound the country / army and Cambodia up so much with his bid to appeal to the nationalists and royalists that a border war (and maybe more) would be inevitable.

You only have to look at his "handling" of the border incursion with Veera for evidence of his version of "detente" with Cambodia

Edited October 21, 2013 by fab4

[lastbastion]

Meanwhile, opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has questioned the rationale behind Yingluck's trip to Ethiopia from November 10-12 when the ICJ delivers its verdict. "Yingluck should explain to the public why she has to travel abroad during such a sensitive period," he said. "If I were the prime minister, I would not go abroad during this time," said Abhisit, declining to speculate on the outcome of the verdict.

What a refreshing difference to have a non-war mongering PM running the country.

The only reason Abhisit would not have left the country whilst the decision was being made was because he would have wound the country / army and Cambodia up so much with his bid to appeal to the nationalists and royalists that a border war (and maybe more) would be inevitable.

You only have to look at his "handling" of the border incursion with Veera for evidence of his version of "detente" with Cambodia

He is also not a Shinawatra so does not have the same symbiotic, arse-licking relationship with Hun Sen that Yingluk and her brother enjoy.

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PM Yingluck meets with agencies on Phra Viharn ruling
By English News



BANGKOK, Oct 21 - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is meeting today with representatives of security agencies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Phra Viharn ruling next month.

The meeting is to find solutions to deal with the World Court's verdict reading set for Nov 11 on the Phra Viharn dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

The setup of a Thai-Cambodian joint committee on border issues will be discussed at today's meeting in order for the border matters to be processed in accordance with the International Court of Justice's ruling.

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said he had asked to meet with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong before the ruling in order to agree in principle on the two countries' stances.

The Thai Army will also find the procedures and security measures for safety and prevention in case of unlikely incidents resulting from the border dispute. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-10-21

[bobnuts]

Is Namhong the Cambodian version of Hongnam?

[Spare]

This is Thaksin cunning plan to trade off the land and temple that belong to all the people of Thailand, in exchange for oil & gas in the gulf of Thailand for his own personal wealth.

Hun Sen is on the other side of the equation, and he will gain handsomely from cash that the Thai government will refund Thaksin (plus interest). Those cash was stolen from the Thai people by Thaksin, through political influence to pop up the stock price of his empire (like SHIN, AIS Info, SC asset. M-Link, etc)

You don't need to believe me. Just go to the Yellow protest area and hear it for yourselves. It is true.

[fab4]

Meanwhile, opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has questioned the rationale behind Yingluck's trip to Ethiopia from November 10-12 when the ICJ delivers its verdict. "Yingluck should explain to the public why she has to travel abroad during such a sensitive period," he said. "If I were the prime minister, I would not go abroad during this time," said Abhisit, declining to speculate on the outcome of the verdict.

What a refreshing difference to have a non-war mongering PM running the country.

The only reason Abhisit would not have left the country whilst the decision was being made was because he would have wound the country / army and Cambodia up so much with his bid to appeal to the nationalists and royalists that a border war (and maybe more) would be inevitable.

You only have to look at his "handling" of the border incursion with Veera for evidence of his version of "detente" with Cambodia

He is also not a Shinawatra so does not have the same symbiotic, arse-licking relationship with Hun Sen that Yingluk and her brother enjoy.

Abhisit was quite arse-licking with Hun Sen when the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate was giving him problems due to not having done any environmental assessments there.

He was more than happy to sign the Dawei deep Sea Port and Industrial Estate so he could get rid of the environmental problems.

In September 2009, Thailand’s Central Administrative Court made a ruling which continues to shake the country to this day. A group of villagers in Map Ta Phut in Rayong, home to one of the largest industrial estates in the world, had filed a lawsuit claiming pollution there was blighting their health. In a decision which shocked Thailand’s business community, the court suspended 76 industrial projects worth around $US10 billion. Most spent almost a year under suspension – much to the dismay of their multinational investors. On 11 October, the Bangkok Post published a revealing interview with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Thailand, Abhisit said, needed to diversify its development strategy and stop relying so much on heavy industry. “I don’t think the people want it in their backyard,” he explained. In light of Map Ta Phut, Abhisit’s comments make perfect sense.But the interview was timely. The very same day, the Thai premier paid a one-day visit to Burma. He made a courtesy call on Senior General Than Shwe.The deep-sea port at Dawei, it was agreed, would be developed as a new industrial zone. So while Abhisit talked of Thais no longer wanting heavy industry on their own turf, he was signing a deal that could lead to a new Map Ta Phut in Burma. As he is no doubt aware, Burma has no laws mandating environmental impact assessments for large-scale projects, and communities have no say in the decision-making processes which may lead to their destruction

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UPDATE:
Thailand prepares for World Court ruling on Preah Vihear dispute Nov 11
By English News

BANGKOK, Oct 21 – Thailand will propose a joint meeting with Cambodia prior to the November 11 judgement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ, or World Court) on the Preah Vihear temple dispute, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said today.

He said he would contact his Cambodian counterpart Hor Nam Hong to set a date for the Thai-Cambodian joint committee meeting.

Thailand believes the ICJ’s ruling would not jeopardise bilateral relationships given an earlier statement by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that the temple dispute and the two countries' bilateral relationship were separate issues, and not related, he said.

Thai security officials met earlier today in a special meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, to discuss preparations for the World Court judgement.

The meeting outlined four possible scenarios on the November 11 ruling: 1) the ICJ rules out its authority to judge on the petition, 2) the World Court judges whether the area adjacent to Preah Vihear temple follows the lines on the French map of 1:200,000 scale, 3) Thailand’s defence is in line with the Court’s original verdict in 1962, and 4) the ICJ gives a neutral judgement based on the 1:200,000 scale map and the 1962 verdict, and urges negotiation between Thailand and Cambodia.

Mr Surapong said Thailand would set up another ad hoc committee to analyse the ICJ verdict while the Foreign Ministry would immediately explain the case to the Thai people.

The ICJ judgement will be telecast live on Channel 11 and Channel 9, and broadcast on radio, starting at 4 pm (local time) on November 11.

He expressed confidence that the ICJ ruling would not lead to clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border as the two countries’ relationship has greatly improved.

Cambodia sought an ICJ ruling on whether the area around the Preah Vihear temple was under its jurisdiction while Thailand contended that the Court verdict in 1962 only covered the Hindu temple itself, and not the adjacent area. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-10-21

[Chao Lao Beach]

All signals in the above post are a little bit like that just maybe the Thai side are admiring defeat and running for a relief.