Cambodia Could Raise Border Dispute at ASEAN Summit

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 15 October 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

Cambodia’s Foreign Minister on Wednesday said that the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand will be raised at the ASEAN summit to held in Huan Hin October 23-25 unless there is a satisfactory response from Thailand.

“Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will raise the border dispute between the two parties at Asean summit if Cambodia does not receive formal answer from Thai Leaders or [FM] Kasit Piromya,” Hor Namhong said at a press conference on Wed-nesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFA).

“Cambodia is not surprised at Kasit’s remarks,” he said of the Thai FM’s recent flip-flopping, first suggesting a regional independent dispute resolution body, then backped-aling to say that the standoff should be solved bilaterally.

However, Thai MFA deputy spokesman Thani Thongpakdi denied Kasit ever proposed an ASEAN dispute settlement mechanism to solve the standoff around Cambodia’s Preah Vihear temple, according Thai media on Tuesday.

“The minister might have been quoted out of context in media reports,” Thongpakdi was quoted by the Nation as saying. “The Thai Government had reaffirmed its position that the border dispute must be solved bilaterally through the Joint Boundary Commission [JBC].”

The Cambodian FM claimed that demarcating the border with Thailand would be easier than with Vietnam and Laos because of the large volume of internationally recognized maps and documentation, including court verdicts and agreements signed by a reigning Thai monarch. “It is easier than others as we have the 1904-1907 agreement [between] Siam-France joint commission, International Court ruling, and MOU 2000,” Hor Namhong iterated.

However, Hor Namhong stated that Thais often choose to ignore this wealth of documentation, including a 1962 World Court ruling, supporting Cambodia’s sovereign rights to clearly demarcated areas. “Some documents were agreed by the two parties’ joint border commission, but Thai national assembly has not so far adopted, so where is the root problem?” he asked.

Meanwhile, one of Thailand’s chiefs of the Joint Boundary Com-mission (JBC) has warned political groups in Thailand not to politicize the border issue for their benefit, since it could jeopardize the boundary demarcation with Cambodia.

“The border issue is very sensitive. It could be a powerful political tool if used for political purposes,” said Co-chair of the Thai-Cambodia Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary Vasin Teeravechyan.

“It is dangerous to politicize the issue for personal interests,” he told a seminar at the Thai Foreign Ministry on Monday.