Govt to explain temple issue to UN

via Khmer NZ

Published: 10/08/2010

The government will send a letter to the United Nations explaining the Preah Vihear temple issue, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Tuesday.

The letter will rebut Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's claims that the Thai government has threatened to use military force against Cambodia, Mr Abhisit said.

He said Thailand was committed to solving the border conflict under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Thailand and Cambodia in 2000.

Thailand respected the World Court's 1962 ruling on the ancient temple, but has the right to protect its sovereignty if Cambodia intrudes into the disputed land.

Mr Abhisit said the MoU is still in effect so it should be used as a framework to settle the border dispute. International assistance is not needed.

Government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn said the Foreign Ministry planned to submit the letter to the United Nations on Wednesday morning, after Prime Minister Abhisit has signed it.

First Army commander Khanit Sapitak, who is in charge of troops in the border area, said the Cambodian army had agreed that the border row should be solved through negotiations and peaceful means, and that neither side should resort to violence.

"The ties between the two countries are still good, but I don't want to voice my opinion on Prime Minister Hun Sen's stance on Thailand since I'm a region leader while he is in charge of a nation," Lt Gen Kanit said.

He said the Thai army is well positioned around the disputed area and well prepared, and he believed the border issue would not be tied to local politics.

Lt Gen Khanit also said that the MoU signed between the two countries does not put Thailand at a disadvantage.

The MoU puts both countries on an equal footing, he said.

Meanwhile, 69.55 per cent of people questioned in a poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) agreed that the government should push Cambodians out of the overlapping area near the temple.

They said this should be done through peaceful means, to protect the country’s sovereignty and minimise the problem of illegal migrants, NIDA poll reported on Tuesday.

A total of 21.62 per cent of them disagreed with the majority, while 8.83 per cent were not sure and wanted to hear the reactions from both sides on the ancient temple case.

The poll on the “Preah Vihear Temple Problem” from Aug 8-9 harvested opinions from 1,133 people in all regions of the country.