Radio Australia
Cambodia has urged Thailand to withdraw its troops from the border near the Preah Vihear temple, warning a that a territorial quarrel was damaging relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has written to his Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej, asking him to "ease the tensions and to order Thai troops to withdraw from the area. More than 400 Thai troops and more than 800 Cambodian soldiers remain assembled around a small hilly Buddhist pagoda, near the ruins of an ancient temple at the centre of the dispute.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Dr Milton Osborne, author, and former diplomat to Cambodia
OSBORNE:
To some extent I think that is correct, but at the present moment, I think much more important is the fact that it's become an issue in domestic Thai politics.
LAM:
Yes, indeed. Is domestic political consideration part of the problem here, the fact that the Thai Government is deeply unpopular at the moment and also there are general elections in a weeks time in Cambodia?
OSBORNE:
Yes, I think the elections in Cambodia, which of course are very important are not the real issue in terms of what's happening at the moment. It's much more the case that the People's Alliance for Democracy is looking for every possible opportunity to attack the Samak Government and this was particularly so in the demonstrations mounted against Prime Minister Noppadon Pattama who last week ruled that the joint communique was satisfactory and that he backed the Thai court in accepting that communique for the listing of Preah Vihear on the World Heritage List and the fact that he has to resign, is a reflection of the extent which this whole issue has become central to the attack upon the Samak Government.
LAM:
But if the Samak Government wants to diffuse the situation, they can just quite easily withdraw the troops from the border?
OSBORNE:
They can, but of course to the extent that it has become an issue in domestic politics. All of the past resentments that have been present underlying the fact of the Preah Vihear temple being listed as Cambodian boiled to the surface.
LAM:
Well both prime ministers are scheduled to hold talks next week, assuming that they go ahead with the talks, do you think they might be able to sort something out?
OSBORNE:
Cambodia has urged Thailand to withdraw its troops from the border near the Preah Vihear temple, warning a that a territorial quarrel was damaging relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Prime Minister Hun Sen has written to his Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej, asking him to "ease the tensions and to order Thai troops to withdraw from the area. More than 400 Thai troops and more than 800 Cambodian soldiers remain assembled around a small hilly Buddhist pagoda, near the ruins of an ancient temple at the centre of the dispute.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Dr Milton Osborne, author, and former diplomat to Cambodia
OSBORNE:
To some extent I think that is correct, but at the present moment, I think much more important is the fact that it's become an issue in domestic Thai politics.
LAM:
Yes, indeed. Is domestic political consideration part of the problem here, the fact that the Thai Government is deeply unpopular at the moment and also there are general elections in a weeks time in Cambodia?
OSBORNE:
Yes, I think the elections in Cambodia, which of course are very important are not the real issue in terms of what's happening at the moment. It's much more the case that the People's Alliance for Democracy is looking for every possible opportunity to attack the Samak Government and this was particularly so in the demonstrations mounted against Prime Minister Noppadon Pattama who last week ruled that the joint communique was satisfactory and that he backed the Thai court in accepting that communique for the listing of Preah Vihear on the World Heritage List and the fact that he has to resign, is a reflection of the extent which this whole issue has become central to the attack upon the Samak Government.
LAM:
But if the Samak Government wants to diffuse the situation, they can just quite easily withdraw the troops from the border?
OSBORNE:
They can, but of course to the extent that it has become an issue in domestic politics. All of the past resentments that have been present underlying the fact of the Preah Vihear temple being listed as Cambodian boiled to the surface.
LAM:
Well both prime ministers are scheduled to hold talks next week, assuming that they go ahead with the talks, do you think they might be able to sort something out?
OSBORNE:
I would think there's a real possibility that they can. It's in neither countries interest for the issue to escalate to the point where there might actually be actual conflict between the two armies.
LAM:
Have there been Thai-Cambodian skirmishes within recent years?
OSBORNE:
Nothing significant no. You have to go back really to the 60s to find any significant skirmishes. But the fundamental fact is there have been difficult relations between the two countries ever since they both claimed independence, or Cambodia attained independence in the 1950s.
LAM:
Well both sides as we've heard have troops assembled in the region. One young Cambodian soldier was quoted as saying that he was willing to die for the temple. Is such strong feelings about Preah Vihear common among Cambodians do you think?
OSBORNE:
I think that particular statement has to be read with a degree of reservation. There are strong feelings on both sides about this particular temple. It is in what might be described outside of legal terms as in an anomalous position. But legally, I don't believe there is any question about it being definitely under Cambodian sovereignty.
LAM:
Indeed I understand that some villages on the Thai side of the border were quite angry with Thai protesters for disrupting business?
OSBORNE:
Well, I think that's entirely possible and at least for the last 25-30 years, it's been an issue that has been left undisturbed and as a tourist site, it's been an area that's approached from the Thai side, rather than from the Cambodian side of the border.
LAM:
Have there been Thai-Cambodian skirmishes within recent years?
OSBORNE:
Nothing significant no. You have to go back really to the 60s to find any significant skirmishes. But the fundamental fact is there have been difficult relations between the two countries ever since they both claimed independence, or Cambodia attained independence in the 1950s.
LAM:
Well both sides as we've heard have troops assembled in the region. One young Cambodian soldier was quoted as saying that he was willing to die for the temple. Is such strong feelings about Preah Vihear common among Cambodians do you think?
OSBORNE:
I think that particular statement has to be read with a degree of reservation. There are strong feelings on both sides about this particular temple. It is in what might be described outside of legal terms as in an anomalous position. But legally, I don't believe there is any question about it being definitely under Cambodian sovereignty.
LAM:
Indeed I understand that some villages on the Thai side of the border were quite angry with Thai protesters for disrupting business?
OSBORNE:
Well, I think that's entirely possible and at least for the last 25-30 years, it's been an issue that has been left undisturbed and as a tourist site, it's been an area that's approached from the Thai side, rather than from the Cambodian side of the border.
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