Thai opinion: Nationalists are playing a dangerous game

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EDITORIAL
Nationalists are playing a dangerous game
The Nation

The disputed Preah Vihear temple serves as a rallying point for conservative groups to criticise the government, but their actions could damage Thailand's relations with Cambodia

BANGKOK: -- An alliance of conservative groups restarted a dangerous game last weekend when it brought the issue of the disputed Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border back under the spotlight.

The aim was to politicise the issue and protest against the government's stance. This group doesn't seem to realise that its past actions have caused a lot of trouble for Thailand's relationship with Cambodia, as well as for people living on both sides of this particular part of the border.

On November 11 the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is scheduled to deliver its verdict on the interpretation of the 1962 judgement on the Preah Vihear case. The Thai Patriotic Network is calling on the government to reject the ICJ's jurisdiction regarding the sovereignty of the temple and surrounding area. Another group, the People's Assembly for Reforming Thailand (PART), vows to organise a mass rally if the ICJ rules in favour of Cambodia.

The alliance of conservatives suspects that the government will give up the Thai claim to territory around the temple for its own interests. They fear this attitude might be reflected in the court's ruling next month.

These groups are old enemies of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra. They care little about sovereignty, the disputed territory or the Hindu temple itself. It's likely that some of their members have never visited the site. These groups are merely looking for a sensitive issue as a pretext to berate the Pheu Thai government.

It was these same people who protested against Cambodia's plan to list Preah Vihear as a Unesco World Heritage site. They failed to derail that, but succeeded in forcing a previous foreign minister in the Thaksin camp to step down in 2008.

Later, the political struggle between Pheu Thai and the conservative elite in Bangkok spilled over into relations with Cambodia. A nationalist stance employed by the Democrat government led to skirmishes between Thai and Cambodian troops near Preah Vihear in 2011, and motivated Phnom Penh to bring the case to the ICJ again, half a century on from the 1962 judgement.

The court ruled in 1962 that the temple is in territory sovereign to Cambodia. Thailand complied with that ruling 50 years ago, but has argued that the area adjacent belongs to Thailand.

For a long time the issue fell dormant while the two countries worked on boundary demarcation. The World Heritage inscription for Preah Vihear has nothing to do with the boundary. The World Heritage Committee made a clear resolution that the disputed border areas would not be included in the listed property.

Thailand will not lose its claim on the territory, and the bilateral talks can continue, along with the World Heritage listing. The two countries do not need to become engaged militarily because of nationalism stoked by conservative groups seeking to provoke conflict.

The Thai government and relevant authorities must stay in close consultation with Phnom Penh to maintain good relations and prevent misunderstandings or potential violence sparked by nationalist sentiment.

Conservative groups have a right to protest against the government, but it is a risky business to turn the Preah Vihear issue into some kind of nationalist crusade against the administration and our neighbour.


-- The Nation 2013-10-29

[Bkungbank]

Many people admire the farang lady lawyer on Thai side, does anyone knows who she is?

[DocN]

To quote King Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings: You are Thais- you bow to no one!

...oh wait...that was the Hobbits, they did something admirable and it was a fantasy- movie!

Edited October 30, 2013 by DocN