via Khmer NZ
Published on August 13, 2010
Cambodian PM says talks won't resume until earlier agreements are approved by Thai lawmakers
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday said he will ask UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to play the role as coordinator for border issues with Thailand, China's state-owned news agency reported.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon will visit Cambodia on October 27- 28.
"I will ask him to act as coordinator," Hun Sen announced at a meeting of the Tonle Sap Conversation in Phnom Penh yesterday, Xinhua reported.
The premier, however, insisted the bilateral border talks will not be resumed unless Thai lawmakers approved the border agreements reached by both border committees in past years - or it would be a waste of time. Hun Sen had earlier called for a third party such as the UN or Asean to join in the border talks.
"It is ridiculous that Thailand accuses Cambodia of invading and using force," Hun Sen said, adding that according to the judgement of the Hague International Court in 1962, the Preah Vihear temple and its surrounding area belonged to Cambodia, so there is no disputed border between Cambodia and Thailand.
"I don't know where the area of 4.6 square kilometres is - so how can I ask my people and army to withdraw?"
He also appealed to Thai media to consider their stories [carefully] before publishing, following Prime Minister Abhisit's claim Thai media had misquoted him.
Hun Sen reiterated that Cambodia does not seek to use force to resolve the border issue, but, he said, "we will defend our territorial integrity."
Meanwhile, the current feud over Preah Vihear Temple and the surrounding land between Thailand and Cambodia will not likely lead to war because Cambodia is a "good friend" to Thailand - but Thais should not escalate the matter further, said General Chavalit Yongchaiyud, chairman of the Pheu Thai Party yesterday.
"We can be angry at one another but will eventually reconcile and speak nicely to one another," said Chavalit, as the tension continued. "Soldiers on both sides love one another too. They cross the border to drink together and so the risk of using force is minimal. But we all must help and those with opinions must air their views carefully... This doesn't mean we would give up our land - but there are ways to approach the matter both openly and secretly."
Chavalit said the government needed more than support from all sides.
The remarks by Chavalit were not received well by Thepthai Saenphong, spokesperson to the leader of the Democrat Party. Thepthai accused Chavalit of being at the heart of the Thai-Cambodian conflict because, after Chavalit's visit to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in October 2009, Thaksin Shinawatra was made an economic adviser to the Cambodian premier. Chavalit should recognise that he had a part in creating the Thai-Cambodian conflict, Thepthai added.
Thepthai also added that prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is "highly mature" and so will not engage in battle of words with the Cambodian counterpart.
Meanwhile, Democrat Party spokeperson Buranat Samutarak alleged the statement made by the Cambodian premier in his letter to the UN Security Council suspiciously resembled words used by Robert Amstersdam, Thaksin's lawyer. Buranat also said the claim by Hun Sen that Thailand might resort to force is an intentional attempt to misinterpret what Abhisit said, despite the prime minister's assurance that no force would be used.
Buranat added that Thailand is trying to resolve the matter through bilateral means but Cambodia is trying to drag other parties into the conflict while habouring people who are politically opposed to the Thai government, namely some red shirt leaders. He added that both parties should refer to the MOU the Group of Paris Accord signed in 1991 between Thailand, Cambodia in 18 other states in order to sort things out.
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