Cambodia Seeks Resolution of Vietnam Border Spat

[geovalin]

Since 2011, Cambodia has sent more than 20 diplomatic letters to Vietnam to protest what it calls encroachment by the Vietnamese on its territory.

PHNOM PENH — 

Cambodia’s border affairs committee on Monday told their Vietnamese counterparts during a meeting in Phnom Penh that they wanted to see a halt to all construction and development projects that overlapped onto Cambodian territory.

Cambodia said it would forcefully dismantle any construction on its soil.

 

Long Visalo, a secretary of state with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that he had told the Vietnamese delegation that “if they dare to build, I will give orders for the building’s removal.”

 

 

 

He added that the Cambodians were waiting for a response to an order from Cambodia for nine water catchment ponds to be filled in as they were dug on Cambodian soil.

Since 2011, Cambodia has sent more than 20 diplomatic letters to Vietnam to protest what it calls encroachment by the Vietnamese on its territory.

 

Visalo said Vietnam has always maintained that the construction was only occurring on Vietnamese land.

“One side says it’s Cambodian land, the other side says it’s Vietnam’s,” he added. “Now they agree to end the saga by taking the issue up with relevant ministries.”

 

Va Kim Hong, head of the border committee, said a joint letter to request the aid of former colonial power France in resolving the dispute had not yet been sent as there was an ongoing disagreement about its wording and contents.

 

Mao Monyvann, an opposition lawmaker with the Cambodia National Rescue Party, said the talks would not lead to a positive result for Cambodia without the help of a third-party such as France.

“I think it’s time for us to push for a resolution with the participation of powerful countries, or sue in an international court,” he said.

 

source http://www.voacambodia.com/a/cambodia-seeks-resolution-of-vietnam-border-spat/3486554.html

 

 

-- © Copyright VOA 31/08

[geovalin]

Talks on Border End in Stalemate

 

Vietnam and Cambodia were unable to come to a consensus on a variety of issues relating to the border between the two neighbors, failing to release a joint statement after they reached an impasse on the issue of France’s involvement in the border demarcation process. Va Kim Hong, chairman of Cambodia’s border committee, and Le Hoai Trung, deputy minister of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry in charge of border affairs, met in Phnom Penh on Monday but only chatted online yesterday after Mr. Hoai Trung curiously returned to Vietnam early yesterday morning – before any of the major issues had been settled.
 

The two-day meeting was contentious, with Vietnam refusing to apologize for its continued constructions within banned border areas and only saying they would take Cambodia’s complaints to their superiors. But the main sticking point for both sides is what role France should play in defining both countries’ borders. The issue boils down to seven problem areas along the border that both sides contend. Cambodia believes only two of the seven points need France’s arbitration, while the rest can be handled by technical experts from both countries. Vietnam vehemently disagrees, saying they want France to decide on all seven areas using their high-tech mapping equipment and “Bonne” maps from their time as colonial rulers in Southeast Asia.
 

“The main principal of Cambodia’s government is to solve the border issue based on peaceful negotiation. We do not want to violate the territory of other countries or let other countries violate our territory,” he said. “We should not bring this border case to international courts because the two countries can solve this. It just takes time.” In a March 19 meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, both countries agreed to ask France to provide technical mapping experts and specific border maps for post numbers 30-40 in Rattanakiri province and border posts numbers 138-147 in Svay Rieng province.

 

read more http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29146/talks-on-border-end-in-stalemate/

 

-- © Copyright Khmer Times 31/08