via Khmer NZ
BANGKOK, Aug 10 - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he signed a letter to the United Nations (UN) to clarify Thailand's position regarding its border dispute, affirming that the kingdom adheres to peaceful means in resolving the border dispute with Cambodia.
The letter counters Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's telling the world body that Thailand is threatening to use force to settle the altercation, and affirming that Thailand will continue to practice peaceful principles and intentions in resolving the dispute.
Mr Abhisit said that what the Cambodian leader quoted him as saying in the letter to UN was actually not his own words, particularly when he was quoted as threatening to use military force to settle the border problem with Cambodia and that he would revoke the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cambodia.
The Thai premier said the letter to the UN was aimed to affirm to the world body that Thailand and Cambodia are both members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and even though the two kingdoms' relations did not run smoothly, but bilateral cooperation remains sound.
Thailand adheres to the principles of the world body by trying to address problems peacefully through talks and Bangkok would use the 2000 agreement with Cambodia as the framework to solve the problem, Mr Abhisit said.
Under the terms of the MoU between Thailand and Cambodia on the survey and demarcation of land boundary dated June 4, 2000, both sides agree not to carry out any work resulting in changes of environment of the frontier zone, pending the survey and demarcation of the common land boundary.
"In the letter to the UN, Thailand affirms that the country always respects the International Court of Justice's ruling that the temple belongs to Cambodia, even we do not agree with the verdict. But the problem now is that the Cambodians intruded into Thailand's territory, we, therefore, have to protect our sovereignty but under the UN ways -by peaceful means," he said.
Mr Abhisit said that Defence and Foreign Ministries would jointly cooperate to push Cambodians from the contested area under the 2000 MoU back to Cambodian soil.
However, the premier said he would not say when the process will begin and how.
He added that it was not necessary for any third country to intervene in the dispute between the two countries as there is an existing framework to solve the problem.
The Thai premier's move came after Mr Hun Sen sent a letter earlier this week to the UN General Assembly and Security Council in which he accused Thailand of threatening to use its forces to settle the dispute.
Mr Hun Sen's letter, which was also sent to the media, said statements by Mr Abhisit when he addressed the civil society groups on Saturday represented "a clear threat to use military force" to settle the border problem and therefore in violation of UN rules.
The Cambodian premier reaffirmed his country's policy not to use military means to settle disputes with its neighbours but that it reserved its legitimate right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in case of deliberate acts of aggression.
Meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said ambassadors of the eight member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam -- were briefed on Thailand's position to adhere to peaceful means in solving the temple row with Cambodia through talks and that Thailand urged the neighbouring country to adhere to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two countries in 2000.
Mr Kasit also said that Thailand and Cambodia jointly agreed that it was necessary to hold a new round of the Joint Boundary Commission as soon as possible. Details regarding agenda and venue of the meeting are now being discussed.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia intensified after the Thai government delegation objected to Cambodia's unilateral management plan for the historic Preah Vihear temple as the neighbours could find no common ground to settle the disputed 4.6 sq km of land adjacent to the temple which was granted world heritage status in 2008.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through its World Heritage Commission (WHC) consequently early this month postponed its discussion of the plan until next year when it meets in Bahrain.
The International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that the temple belongs to Cambodia. (MCOT online news)
No comments:
Post a Comment