Vasin: Avoid political gamesBangkok Post
Sunday November 23, 2008
Vasin Teeravechyan, chairman of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), talks to THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL about the latest attempts to resolve the border spat and the challenges ahead.
What were your impressions before and after the JBC meeting on Nov 10-12 in Siem Reap?
Before the meeting, I thought there would be many problems and I didn't expect much would be achieved, but the results were quite good. I thought Cambodia understood Thailand well enough and the meeting avoided sensitive issues, for example whether to call the temple Preah Vihear or Phra Viharn. Each side knew each other's weaknesses and sought a compromise. The meeting was good but I don't know how long both countries can avoid touching on the sensitive issues.
If the pending issues [the name of the temple and reduction of troops] are not approved by parliament in this session, will it affect the negotiations?
I think it will pass parliament in this session. Other issues which were already agreed by both countries should have no problem moving forward. For example, the issue on the start of an immediate field survey and border demarcation at Preah Vihear temple or the setting up of a coordinating group to take care of future problems could begin immediately because they are explainable. If parliament does not agree, we could tackle these issues with Cambodia.
What would the result be if there was no Article 190 in the constitution?
Certainly, negotiations would be much easier. We used to do bilateral negotiations informally before requesting parliamentary approval when everything has been settled. Things are a little different now because we are required to consult parliament first for an approved framework for negotiation.
The point is we are handling these negotiations with the best intentions. But when people [who are opposed to the ministry's position] refuse to listen to our explanations, they close themselves off from the other sides of the issue.
I have met former deputy foreign minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra and asked him to tell the Democrat party about the Preah Vihear temple issue. I also plan to meet many people to talk about this issue. If issues like this are pulled into a political game, the country cannot survive.
Should the JBC conduct border surveys and demarcation in other areas concurrently with the area near Preah Vihear temple?
Yes, I think so, otherwise the border demarcation process will be delayed. The two survey and demarcation teams should start together. Both sides have agreed on this but have not yet decided on other areas apart from Preah Vihear.
Do you see a change in position by Phnom Penh after finishing the first round of talks?
Yes. The Phnom Penh government showed its commitment to resolving the border problems. It cannot be rushed. If either side tries to rush, it will be at a disadvantage, because they are lots of details to discuss.
Compared to other borders Thailand shares with its neighbours, does the Thai-Cambodian border have more problems?
It does have more problems than the Thai-Lao border. But in fact, all borders have problems because the agreements which Thailand has had with France and the UK in the past were quite rough. When we pointed to the watershed on the map, it was not precise. Sometimes we could not find the names in the new maps, so we have to survey the areas physically to verify the locations before demarcation can be finalised.
When will we use the maps for the discussions?
We hope to do that once the survey teams have completed their work. But the more we touch on the maps, the more problems will arise [because Thailand and Cambodia use different maps as their references].
When you decided to accept this position (Chairman of JBC), what were you most concerned about?
It was the different ideas of people around the country. I was quite stressed because I had to think of people first before doing anything. I also reaffirmed with Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat and everyone I met that I would not get involved in politics.
Sunday November 23, 2008
Vasin Teeravechyan, chairman of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), talks to THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL about the latest attempts to resolve the border spat and the challenges ahead.
What were your impressions before and after the JBC meeting on Nov 10-12 in Siem Reap?
Before the meeting, I thought there would be many problems and I didn't expect much would be achieved, but the results were quite good. I thought Cambodia understood Thailand well enough and the meeting avoided sensitive issues, for example whether to call the temple Preah Vihear or Phra Viharn. Each side knew each other's weaknesses and sought a compromise. The meeting was good but I don't know how long both countries can avoid touching on the sensitive issues.
If the pending issues [the name of the temple and reduction of troops] are not approved by parliament in this session, will it affect the negotiations?
I think it will pass parliament in this session. Other issues which were already agreed by both countries should have no problem moving forward. For example, the issue on the start of an immediate field survey and border demarcation at Preah Vihear temple or the setting up of a coordinating group to take care of future problems could begin immediately because they are explainable. If parliament does not agree, we could tackle these issues with Cambodia.
What would the result be if there was no Article 190 in the constitution?
Certainly, negotiations would be much easier. We used to do bilateral negotiations informally before requesting parliamentary approval when everything has been settled. Things are a little different now because we are required to consult parliament first for an approved framework for negotiation.
The point is we are handling these negotiations with the best intentions. But when people [who are opposed to the ministry's position] refuse to listen to our explanations, they close themselves off from the other sides of the issue.
I have met former deputy foreign minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra and asked him to tell the Democrat party about the Preah Vihear temple issue. I also plan to meet many people to talk about this issue. If issues like this are pulled into a political game, the country cannot survive.
Should the JBC conduct border surveys and demarcation in other areas concurrently with the area near Preah Vihear temple?
Yes, I think so, otherwise the border demarcation process will be delayed. The two survey and demarcation teams should start together. Both sides have agreed on this but have not yet decided on other areas apart from Preah Vihear.
Do you see a change in position by Phnom Penh after finishing the first round of talks?
Yes. The Phnom Penh government showed its commitment to resolving the border problems. It cannot be rushed. If either side tries to rush, it will be at a disadvantage, because they are lots of details to discuss.
Compared to other borders Thailand shares with its neighbours, does the Thai-Cambodian border have more problems?
It does have more problems than the Thai-Lao border. But in fact, all borders have problems because the agreements which Thailand has had with France and the UK in the past were quite rough. When we pointed to the watershed on the map, it was not precise. Sometimes we could not find the names in the new maps, so we have to survey the areas physically to verify the locations before demarcation can be finalised.
When will we use the maps for the discussions?
We hope to do that once the survey teams have completed their work. But the more we touch on the maps, the more problems will arise [because Thailand and Cambodia use different maps as their references].
When you decided to accept this position (Chairman of JBC), what were you most concerned about?
It was the different ideas of people around the country. I was quite stressed because I had to think of people first before doing anything. I also reaffirmed with Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat and everyone I met that I would not get involved in politics.
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