PM: Can't deliver response to activist temple demands within week

http://www.mcot.net/

via Khmer NZ

BANGKOK, Aug 8 - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday it is impossible for him to follow and respond to all the demands lodged by activist groups to resolve the temple dispute with Cambodia within seven days.

Mr Abhisit's acknowledgment came after a debate between four senior government officials, led by himself, and an equal number of activist men. The debate was telecast live by the state-run NBT station.

The premier told members of the activist groups representing the newly-formed 'Thailand Patriot Network' and civil society groups including the yellow-clad People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) that it was impossible for his government to solve the temple crisis within seven days as they demanded saying more time is needed as the government must also listen to opinions from various other sectors.

Again, Mr Abhisit also told the activist representatives that his government had never accepted the Cambodian map showing a different border between the two neighbouring countries than that recognised by Thailand.

The prime minister urged the people to heed the King's earlier advice on solving border problems noting that it must be done through peaceful means and unity among the peoples. It is useless to wage a war to tackle such difficulties, Mr Abhisit said.

The ruling by the International Court of Justice in 1962 only stipulated that Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia but the adjoining areas belong to Thailand, the prime minister said.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti said during the debate that he would not attend the upcoming meeting of the seven-member International Coordinating Committee (ICC) which would discuss management of the temple, awarded World Heritage site status by UNESCO in 2008, as he did not know details of the meeting and was uncertain whether his presence would have any binding in future.

Meanwhile, Veera Somkwamkid, leader of 'Thailand Patriot Network', who also attended the debate said afterward that he could partially accept the government's clarifications as he understood that the government has limited options for resolving the problem.

Mr Veera said the prime minister still could not promise that the government would demand the ancient temple back for Thailand from Cambodia or any measures in pushing back Cambodians now settling on disputed territory near the temple.

Thai villagers living in Si Sa Ket province bordering Cambodia near Preah Vihear temple sits on a border cliff said after watching the debate that they were confident that the prime minister could resolve the Preah Vihear temple issue and also relieve their hardships resulting from tensions in the area.

The local Thai agreed that they neither wanted to see any protest nor armed clashes between soldiers of the two countries at the disputed border.

Meanwhile, after the debate, the Thailand Patriot Network dispersed from the first Army Region headquarters in Bangkok but vowed to come back to protest again after finding the prime minister’s explanation as being satisfactory 'at a certain level' but that it did not meet their demand.

Network leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong said their decision to disperse was a truce as the number of reinforcements from the group’s supporters on the second day of their gathering was not adequate. They will regroup again when they are ready, he said.

Leader Veera Somkwankid said the civil network and the PAD will hold talks later this week to set their strategies and fight in a practical way in the same direction.

He agreed that differing opinions had an impact on negotiation. Although he was still not satisfied with the government’s stance and the government could not meet their demand, he thought the government’s performance worked at a certain level. (MCOT online news)