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Thursday, 5 May 2011

European film festival to focus on young people

Actors in Love is All, screening tonight at 7pm on the Diamond Island open-air screen.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

via CAAI

Thursday, 05 May 2011 15:00Roth Meas

A RARE chance to see recent European films focusing on youth can be taken this week in the European Union’s ninth European Film Festival in Phnom Penh, running until Monday, May 9.

Seven movies have been scheduled throughout the festival, which began on Tuesday, from seven European countries.

EU chargé d’affaire Rafael Dochaeo Moreno said the focus was on youth this year because 60 percent of Cambodian’s were aged under 26 and so, play an important role in society.

“Young people are the future of the country, and young Cambodians will one day be leaders in their own country,” he said.

Films in the festival will be screened at two venues for the first time this year, at Diamond Island and the French Cultural Centre (CCF).

Free open-air screenings at 7pm at Diamond Island, are designed to appeal to youngsters because it’s a popular evening meeting place.

Moreno said that these movies would help young Cambodians understand more about the lives of young people in Europe. Though Europe is far from Cambodia, he said youths in both continents shared the same feelings.

“In fact, we can imagine that young Europeans and young Cambodians have exactly the same problems, because what young people have in mind are love, friendship, work, studying to get a good job and money,” said Moreno.

The cinema would act as a bridge between the different cultures, he said.

All movies screened at Diamond Island are dubbed into Khmer, while screenings at CCF will be aired with the original soundtracks and English subtitles.

via CAAI

French Patrol Warship Docks at Preah Sihanouk Ville Seaport

AKP, Phnom Penh, May 5, 2011

French Patrol Warship “Vend Miaire” calls at Preah Sihanouk International Autonomous Seaport on May 4 for a five-day visit to Cambodia.

Photo: Ngo Somony, AKP-Preah Sihanouk

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Siem Reap Governor Visits Injured Soldiers

AKP, Phnom Penh, May 5, 2011

Siem Reap Provincial Governor H.E. So Phirin accompanied by his colleagues on May 3 visit Cambodian injured soldiers at the provincial hospital. The soldiers were injured by the recent Thai troops’ artillery shelling at Cambodia’s Ta Krabei and Ta Moan temples.

Photo: Hang Seak, AKP-Siem Reap

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Statement of the Spokesman of Ministry of National Defense

AKP Phnom Penh, May 5, 2011 – The following is the statement of the spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense over the result of the meeting between Cambodian-Thai military commanders on May 4:

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9th EU Film Festival Opened

AKP Phnom Penh, May 5, 2011 – The 9th Annual European Film Festival was opened in Phnom Penh on May 3 in the presence of Mr. Rafael Dochao Moreno, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation to Cambodia.

This week-long festival is aimed at bridging the culture of the European countries and that of Cambodia, said Mr. Rafael Dochao Moreno at the opening ceremony.

The theme of the festival varies from year to year, he said, indicating that last year, it focused on women’s issues, while this year it particularly focuses on youth – their daily lives, their works, their studies and other activities.

Different films from Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Holland, Portugal, Sweden and other European countries, as well as from Cambodia have been screened at the French Cultural Center and Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Center in Phnom Penh from May 3 to 9.

By SOKMOM Nimul

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National Defense Ministry Team Wins 2011 Sepak Takraw Championship

AKP Phnom Penh, May 5, 2011 – The National Defense Ministry team won the 2011 National Sepak Takraw Championship, which was wrapped up here at the National Olympic Stadium last Sunday.

Altogether 299 players from 15 Sepak Takraw clubs throughout the country joined the five-day event.

Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports H.E. Bou Chum Serey presided over the tournament’s closing ceremony.

By OU Sokha

Trust building needed to solve Thai-Cambodian border dispute

http://www.mcot.net/

via CAAI

Jakarta, May 5 (ANTARA) - The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has escalated over the last couple of months and no concrete solution is in sight so far despite mediation efforts by Indonesia as the current ASEAN Chair.

The last time Cambodia and Thailand sit together with Indonesia as the facilitator was in the Joint Border Committee(JBC) Meeting in Bogor, West Java, on April 7-8, 2011, but, the meeting did not yield any significant result.

The matter was so complexed that it could not be solved in just one meeting, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said in Bogor, following the meeting on April 8.

"The Bogor meeting on Thursday and Friday was followed by an unofficial meeting on the next day between Indonesia, Cambodian Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong and Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, as a part of diplomatic resolving option effort," Marty said.

In the upcoming 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta on May 7-8, the border conflict is most likely to be discussed.

Since the past years Indonesia and other members of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) have tried to support both Thailand and Cambodia to solve their border problem through peaceful negotiations.

The relations between Cambodia and Thailand have been strained since the 900-year-old temple Preah Vihear located in both countries` border was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear itself belonged to Cambodia, although its main entrance lies in Thailand and the 4.6-square-kilometer (1.8-square-mile) area around the temple is claimed by both sides.

The previous border disputes between the two ASEAN member states had erupted into violence in October 2008 and April 2009, as troops from both nations exchanged fire.

In early February 2011, when Indonesia`s ASEAN Chairmanship was just two month old, Cambodia and Thailand had again traded heavy weapons fire near the temple area.

Following the Feb. 4-7 clashes, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as the ASEAN chairman, decided to send Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa to Cambodia (On Feb. 7) and Thailand (on Feb. 8) to meet his counterparts.

"This year Indonesia as the chairman of ASEAN has a moral responsibility to become part of the solution (of the Cambodia-Thailand conflict)," President Yudhoyono said at his office in Jakarta on February 7.

The clashes and the strong presence of both countries` military in the disputed border area, had prompted ASEAN foreign ministers to hold an informal meeting in Jakarta on February 22, 2011.

In the urgent meeting, Indonesia as the ASEAN Chair, had been requested to send observers to monitor a ceasefire in the affected areas of both sides` border.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has also taken on the issue as an urgent matter and supported Indonesia`s peace facilitator role.

The UNSC invited the ASEAN Chair alongside Cambodia and Thailand at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on February 14.

The UN Security Council president, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti of Brazil, called in the meeting for a "permanent ceasefire", AFP reported.

Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan in a press statement said the UNSC`s open and official support for conciliation efforts to the ASEAN Chair was a sign that the United Nations had faith in ASEAN to help its Member States find amicable regional solutions to bilateral problems.

Both Cambodia and Thailand welcomed Minister Marty to help in their search for an amicable and peaceful solution to their differences, as ASEAN continued to strengthen its dispute settlement mechanism, in line with the ASEAN Charter, Dr. Surin stated.

However, despite the commitments made by the conflicting nations, a couple of armed clashes had occurred again in their border. There had also been a report saying that Thailand did not wish Indonesia`s facilitating role in its conflict with Cambodia, but the report was later denied by Thai officials.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa after meeting with Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya in Jakarta on April 28, said that the Thai government had reiterated its seriousness in continuing the settlement of its border conflict with Cambodia through dialogues.

"Thailand also wishes to hold a cease-fire like what Cambodia has also expressed. The problem is there has been a lack of trust. So the question is how their determination conveyed in separate occasions could be made into reality as one stance," he said.

"We must develop trust building again by considering various aspects especially the loss of lives, materials and friendship," the minister said.

According to Marty, the Thai government was strongly expecting Indonesia to play a role in settling its problem with Cambodia, ASEAN had also been encouraged to be involved in bilateral dialogues.

Marty denied media reports that Thailand had been reluctant to involve ASEAN in the settlement of the dispute saying that Thailand was open for ASEAN involvement.

"ASEAN is a big family to which Thailand also belongs, so it is no longer considered as a third party in this process," Marty told the press.

In the joint press conference with Marty, the then visiting Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said his government hailed the role of Indonesia as the ASEAN chair in helping solve its border dispute with Cambodia.

"Thailand is one of ASEAN`s founders so that we wish to see ASEAN`s constructive role in settling the border conflict with Cambodia," Kasit told the press.

According to Marty, there was a significant progress related to the formulation of terms of reference from Indonesian monitoring team, and the Thai government has welcomed it.

Marty reiterated that the border problem had erupted because of a crisis of trust between the two parties, so that Indonesia would play a role to bridge their communication.

The United States government has expressed its support to Indonesia to make use the chairmanship of ASEAN Summit in easing the tension between Thailand and Cambodia.

"We support the efforts of Indonesia in their role as chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to work with both countries to reach a resolution," US Secretary of States Hillary Rodham Clinton, on April 25.

She expressed deep concerns on clash between Thailand and Cambodian military in border of both countries and urged both to restrain.

The military of Thailand and Cambodia last April 22 to 24 again exchanged fires in Ta Moan and Ta Krabei temples, the border sites of both countries.

Another support received by Indonesia came from Singapore for its effort as the ASEAN chair to facilitate constructive dialogue between Thailand and Cambodia.

"It is important for both countries to work closely with Indonesia as the ASEAN Chair, in implementing the agreements reached during the Informal ASEAN Foreign Affairs Ministers` Meeting on February 22, 2011," the Singaporean foreign ministry said in a press statement on April 26.

In the statement, Singapore also hoped that a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia can be reached by the time the 18th ASEAN Summit takes place on May 7 and 8, 2011.

Using the momentum of the upcoming ASEAN Summit, an Indonesian legislator, Fayakhun Andriadi, has called on ASEAN to end its border conflicts.

"It will be hard to realize ASEAN unity if the members are still in clash over their border lines," the member of the House of Representatives (DPR)`s Commission I dealing with defense and security said in Jakarta on Tuesday (May 3).

He took an example of the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia which took casualties from both sides and other potential Malaysia-Indonesia, Philippines-Malaysia, Indonesia-Singapore and Indonesia-Vietnam conflicts.

"Border conflicts are among vital issues which can trigger people`s anger. I hope Indonesia as the 2011 Chairman of ASEAN can play a role in solving border problems among members of ASEAN," the legislator said. (ANTARA)

K.Rouge court asked to release ailing defendant

Ieng Sary (C) sits in the courtroom at the Extraodinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

via CAAI

PHNOM PENH — Lawyers for former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary urged Cambodia's UN-backed court Wednesday to free the elderly war crimes suspect ahead of his genocide trial.

The 85-year-old's defence team argued that his continued detention was illegal because their client's case had not been heard within four months of the issue of the indictment in September, surpassing a court "deadline".

One of the few public faces of the secretive regime, Ieng Sary faces charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the deaths of up to two million people from starvation, overwork and execution in 1975-1979.

He has been hospitalised several times for a heart condition and blood in his urine since his arrest in 2007.

His lawyers called for his "immediate release", or that he be confined to his home in Phnom Penh. He is currently being held at a purpose-built detention facility near the court.

"House arrest will ensure his presence for the trial, will ensure that he doesn't flee the country, and would also ensure that no harm comes to him or to others," argued defence lawyer Michael Karnavas.

But the prosecution said house arrest would be inappropriate, citing Ieng Sary's purported wealth and travel experience and the gravity of his alleged crimes.

"He does pose a flight risk," said assistant prosecutor Dale Lysak.

The other defendants in what is the Khmer Rouge tribunal's second case are his wife Ieng Thirith, "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea and former head of state Khieu Samphan.

The trial, due to start in the middle of this year, is expected to be long and complex with all four former leaders disputing the charges against them.

In its landmark first case the tribunal in July sentenced former prison chief Kaing Guek Eav to 30 years in prison. The case is now under appeal.

Led by "Brother Number One" Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Marxist Khmer Rouge regime emptied cities in the late 1970s in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.

All the accused in the second case are aged between 79 and 85 and suffer from varying ailments, fuelling fears that not all of them will live to see a verdict.

ASEAN Leaders Will Discuss Thai-Cambodia Conflict at Summit

Brian Padden, VOA
Jakarta Wednesday, 04 May 2011

via CAAI

Photo: AP

An armed police officer stands guard outside the venue of the 18th ASEAN Summit - will be held on May 7-8 in Jakarta, Indonesia, May 4, 2011.

"Of course the development in Thailand, on the border of Thailand and Cambodia is one of major issues developing in our region."

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are gathering this week in Jakarta (May 5-8) to discuss regional economic development and mutual security issues.

"Of course the development in Thailand, on the border of Thailand and Cambodia is one of major issues developing in our region. So it will be very natural I believe that such issues will be taken up in the summit," he said.

Indonesia took over the chairmanship of the group of 10 Southeast Asian nations this year and made it a stated goal to transform the organization from a loose association to an active participant in global economic and security matters.

But in February clashes erupted between two ASEAN members, Thailand and Cambodia. The two armies have been fighting sporadically over an area surrounding a Hindu Khmer temple, a historical landmark that both countries claim as part of their heritage.

As head of ASEAN, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa saw this conflict as a test case for what the organization leadership could achieve and he has actively tried to negotiate an end to the conflict. So far his efforts have been unsuccessful, but ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan says Natalegawa should get credit for his unprecedented diplomatic efforts.

"There has never been one single special meeting of the foreign ministers on an issue between states before, ever. We have made history under Indonesia. There has never been an attempt by the chair to go to the two capitals and holding hands and talking and try to convince that this is something that we will have to work out together," said Pitsuwan.

He says in addition to continuing to resolve the Thai-Cambodia border conflict, leaders at the summit will also likely discuss how to build on Indonesia's efforts to make ASEAN an integrated economic and political community in the future.

Border disputes, Myanmar may eclipse ASEAN’s progress

http://www.thejakartapost.com/

via CAAI

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Thu, 05/05/2011

The lack of consensus in handling inter-regional issues such as border disputes, Myanmar’s government and competing claims in the South China Sea are clouding ASEAN’s efforts to become a full-fl edged community by 2015, according to experts.

ASEAN’s dreams of becoming a security community will remain unrealized unless the association backs away from its pledge not to use force to solve problems, according to Rizal Sukma, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

“The Thai-Cambodia border dispute shows that members of ASEAN can’t refrain from using force with each other. How can you say we are a community if we attack each other?” he said.

Despite the active involvement of Indonesia and ASEAN in brokering talks between Thailand and Cambodia, the two nations continue to exchange fi re along their border. The latest fl are-up is a fi ght over a stretch of border close to Tan Moan and Tan Krabey, two 12th century Hindu temples that both sides claim.

So far, 18 people on both sides have been killed in 12 days of gunfi ghts, grenade attacks and artillery bombardments that have displaced 65,000 people. Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa previously said that the border dispute was not a good criteria for judging ASEAN’s success.

“The criteria should be ASEAN’s response, [which was] to choose to immediately facilitate and engage. [It was] unprecedented, as it has never happened before. But it is a huge scar that requires the engagement and good will by the two sides.”

“We have a choice of denial and to sweep things under the carpet. But we chose instead to directly engage. Indonesia, as the chair of ASEAN, immediately got in touch with the two parties concerned — not to mediate between them, but to facilitate a solution.” ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said that the border dispute was an “embarrassment” for the association, which was initially forged to prevent open war in the region.

A strong political commitment was needed from the governments of Thailand and Cambodia to solve the issue “quickly and effectively”, regardless of domestic political concerns, he said.

On Myanmar, Rizal said that ASEAN should mobilize civil society groups, the media and the private sector to help empower the people of Myanmar. “There should a clear ASEAN road map on what to do to help Myanmar’s people, including the establishment of ASEAN aid, which is collected from member countries. This fund can be used to help those members that need assistance.”

Marty agreed saying that problems in Myanmar persisted despite the recent elections that installed a new government. “It is simply a work in progress. None of us can deny the fact that there’s been important developments in Myanmar over the past few months.

Of course, the election was not without problems and challenges. However a new government has been set up, and this offers protection for part of the democratization effort in Myanmar,” he said. Marty said he hoped that the release of Ang San Suu Kyi the refl ected readiness of Myanmar to be more inclusive and reconciliatory.

On territorial disputes between China and four ASEAN members, Rizal said Indonesia, as ASEAN’s chair, must develop a consensus on the desired outcome for the association to achieve a tangible results during negotiations. “The current negotiations must be pushed to the level of senior offi cials, who can fi nish negotiations.”

ASEAN credibility at stake in Thai-Cambodia row

http://www.mysinchew.com/

via CAAI

2011-05-05

by Martin Abbugao

JAKARTA, May 5, 2011 (AFP) - A bloody border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia looks set to dominate an ASEAN summit in Indonesia this weekend, casting doubt on the bloc's rhetoric about regional integration by 2015.

Analysts and diplomats said the fighting, which has left at least 18 people dead since April 22, is expected to be a key topic at the two-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta from Saturday.

Current ASEAN chair Indonesia has been leading mediation efforts, but although the fighting has eased the situation remains tense and deadly firefights break out almost daily.

"The Thai-Cambodia border dispute poses a definite challenge to ASEAN's credibility and its objective of creating an ASEAN Community by 2015," said Professor Carl Thayer of the University of New South Wales in Australia.

"ASEAN's failure to broker a political solution will have a very negative impact on ASEAN's credibility as a viable regional organisation," he told AFP.

But Thayer said Indonesia can use the opportunity to play a "continuing proactive diplomatic role" while other ASEAN states can pressure Bangkok and Phnom Penh to negotiate a settlement.

A diplomatic source said ASEAN leaders would call on Bangkok and Phnom Penh to resolve the conflict, which has displaced 85,000 civilians on both sides.

The warring neighbours agreed at a special ASEAN ministerial meeting in Jakarta in February to accept Indonesian military observers at the border.

At the time, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan hailed the agreement as a "historic day" for the 10-nation bloc, but more than two months and a lot more fighting later, the observers remain in Jakarta.

"You must give credit to what ASEAN is trying to do," Surin told AFP on Wednesday, adding that February's meeting of foreign ministers and his personal mediation efforts were unprecedented for the trade-focused grouping.

"We are, I think, turning a page. We are making a giant leap forward by taking those steps. It's not going to be easy, it's not going to be resolved tomorrow."

A diplomatic briefing paper for one summit participant said ASEAN risked putting its "community-building efforts in jeopardy" if it fails to respond adequately to such bilateral disputes.

The paper said intra-regional clashes would not go well for "ASEAN's peace and stability or its credibility". How it responds is a "litmus test" for ASEAN's "ability to contribute to international peace and security", it added.

US-based Southeast Asia specialist Ernest Bower said the Thailand-Cambodia conflict "undercuts the ASEAN leaders' vision for regional integration by 2015".

ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, is aiming for an integrated community by 2015 covering economic, cultural, political and security ties.

Bower cautioned the bloc against using the Thai-Cambodia spat as an excuse for slow progress on "hard issues key to real economic integration".

"The conflict also belies ASEAN's hope of projecting a cohesive region to potential international investors," said Bower, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

ASEAN members are bound by a Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, which forbids the threat or the actual use of force in intra-regional disputes.

The bloc's first charter, or constitution, which came into force with much fanfare in 2008, has provisions for settling rows which are being sorely tested by the ongoing border spat.

"What ASEAN does now will impact on its role in dispute settlement among its members for a long time to come," Thayer said.

ASEAN's hands are often tied by its core principle of non-interference in members' domestic affairs, which means the group can only intervene with the consent of the involved parties.

In the Thai-Cambodia dispute, "ASEAN has to walk on eggshells" so as not to be seen as interfering, Thayer said.

Cambodia Reaffirms Hard Stance on Terrorism

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Wednesday, 04 May 2011

via CAAI

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS

A composite of Belgian front pages shows Osama Bin Laden and U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Headlines read clockwise from bottom left, 'Obama nabs Osama', 'Killed in his bedroom', 'Bin Laden is dead, a beautiful day for the United States', and Obama eliminates Osama'.

“We have always maintained a clear position, which is to absolutely fight against terrorism..."

Osama Bin Laden is dead but regional threats remain from al-Qaeda affiliates, Cambodian officials said Tuesday, as they reaffirmed a hard stance against terrorism.

“The royal government’s stance has not changed,” said Koy Kuong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “We have always maintained a clear position, which is to absolutely fight against terrorism, because terrorism is a deed which the international community, as well and the world, punishes and condemns.”

Cambodia has anti-terrorism laws and an counter-terrorism unit. It has also seen a number of local plots disrupted over the past decade, after officials learned the leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, a terrorist group, had found haven here in 2003.

Lao Monghay, a former researcher for the Asian Human Rights Commission, said Tuesday angered Bin Laden loyalists could now pose a threat to Western nations or their representatives.

However, police officials said Tuesday they had bolstered security in case of retaliatory attacks against the US or other nations, following the shooting of Osama Bin Laden by US forces in Pakistan Monday.

“Crushing their terrorist leader is an issue,” Keat Chantharith, a spokesman for the national police, said. “But safety for Cambodian people is the most important.”

ASEAN Leaders Will Discuss Thai Cambodia Conflict at Summit

http://www.investors.com/

via CAAI

May 04, 2011 (Voice of America News/ContentWorks via COMTEX) -- Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are gathering this week in Jakarta (May 5-8th) to discuss regional economic development and mutual security issues.

Indonesia's Foreign Ministry's spokesman Michael Tene says ASEAN's role in trying to end an ongoing border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia will almost certainly be addressed when the heads of state meet May 7th. "Of course the development in Thailand, on the border of Thailand and Cambodia is one of major issues developing in our region. So it will be very natural I believe that such issues will be taken up in the summit," he said.

He says in addition to continuing to resolve the Thai/Cambodia border conflict, leaders at the summit will also likely discuss how to build on Indonesia's efforts to make ASEAN an integrated economic and political community in the future.

Cambodia genocide tribunal may end prosecutions prematurely

http://www.washingtontimes.com/

via CAAI

By Mike Eckel - Associated Press

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia | Legal and human rights groups say they fear Cambodia’s U.N.- backed genocide tribunal will shut its doors prematurely without prosecuting former second-tier Khmer Rouge officials accused of atrocities.

Lawyers for the regime’s aging former foreign minister, meanwhile, pressed Wednesday for his release from prison, saying he should be held under house arrest instead until his trial later this year.

Ieng Sary’s lawyers argued that his three years of pretrial imprisonment was illegal. A ruling on the appeal is expected later.

In its first case, the tribunal sentenced another Khmer Rouge official, Kaing Guek Eav, to 35 years in prison last July for running the regime’s notorious S-21 prison.

Its second case involves Ieng Sary, former Khmer Rouge chief ideologist Nuon Chea, head of state Khieu Samphan, and Ieng Sary’s wife Ieng Thirith, who was minister for social affairs.

They are charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and other offenses related to the Khmer Rouge’s four-year rule in the 1970s, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people.

Human Rights Watch expressed concern Wednesday that the tribunal will shut down its operations after the current case and abandon plans for trials of other former Khmer Rouge officials.

The proceedings follow French-style law, which mandates that investigating judges collect evidence that is then forwarded to prosecutors who decide whether to go to trial. There are parallel sets of Cambodian and international judges and prosecutors working together.

Last week the co-investigating judges - You Bunleng of Cambodia and Siegfried Blunk of Germany - officially informed the court that their investigation for Case No. 3 was complete.

The names of those being probed have been kept secret, but they are believed to include at least five second-tier Khmer Rouge officials.

Critics including Human Rights Watch say the co-investigating judges have done an incomplete investigation in an effort to scuttle future prosecutions.

“The investigating judges have acted precipitously to shut down the investigation, and I say that because we know from talking to people working in the court that they have not gone to crime scenes and done the kind of investigation that one would expect in any criminal case, much less a case of this seriousness,” said Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

“They’ve basically done a desk study and it appears that that desk study was a sham,” Mr. Adams said in an interview in Bangkok. “It was a political decision, it appears, to shut down this case.”

The Open Society Justice Initiative, an international legal watchdog group funded by billionaire George Soros, said the court may ultimately decide to strike a deal with the government, agreeing to end cases No. 3 and 4 in exchange for full cooperation from the government and witnesses in the current case.

Checkpoints reopen as tensions subside

http://www.bangkokpost.com/

via CAAI

Published: 5/05/2011 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

Chong Chom and Chong Sa-ngam checkpoints reopened yesterday after border skirmishes forced their closure almost two weeks ago.

The reopening followed talks that were held in the morning between 2nd Army chief Tawatchai Samutsakhon and Cambodia's 4th Army commander Chea Mon in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, which is located opposite Chong Chom border pass in Surin's Kap Choeng district.

The reopening came after the tense situation near the two border checkpoints eased.

Lt Gen Tawatchai also took the opportunity yesterday to discuss ways to prevent further clashes by suggesting commanders of the two countries contact each other as soon as gunfights erupt.

Yesterday, authorities from both countries unlocked the main gate of Chong Chom checkpoint and shook hands.

Chong Sa-ngam in Si Sa Ket's Phu Sing district reopened later on in the afternoon.

Although the border checkpoints were open again yesterday, traders were not ready to resume trading straight away. Bustling trade is expected today at the border markets at both locations.

Villagers in Kap Choeng district said they were happy to witness a return of some semblance of peace which makes border commerce possible again.

"Please think of us poor people," one villager pleaded to both the Thai and Cambodian governments.

Wi Manorak, a motorcycle taxi driver at Chong Chom, said he had anxiously waited for today when Thai and Cambodian traders could resume border contact and trade.

Fruit seller Niyom Chiakaeo said the suspended trade had deprived him of income and the reopening of the border had saved his family from starvation.

"If the governments wants to close the checkpoint, do it permanently or they should open it forever," said Mr Niyom.

The 2nd Army is allowing Cambodians to buy goods in Thailand, but it still prohibits the export of certain products, including petrol and cooking gas, until the situation returns to normal.

The 1962 judgement of the Court of Justice in The Hague

http://www.bangkokpost.com/

via CAAI

Published: 5/05/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Below is an excerpt from the International Court of Justice's June 15, 1962, ruling in the case concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear (Merits) between Cambodia and Thailand.

The Preah Vihear dispute has its roots in a 1904 decision

In its Judgement delivered today (June 15, 1962), the Court, by nine votes to three, found that the Temple of Preah Vihear was situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia and, in consequence, that Thailand was under an obligation to withdraw any military or police forces, or other guards or keepers, stationed by her at the Temple, or in its vicinity on Cambodian territory.

By seven votes to five, the Court found that Thailand was under an obligation to restore to Cambodia any sculptures, stelae, fragments of monuments, sandstone models and ancient pottery which might, since the date of the occupation of the Temple by Thailand in 1954, have been removed from the Temple or the Temple area by the Thai authorities.

In its Judgement, the Court found that the subject of the dispute was sovereignty over the region of the Temple of Preah Vihear. This ancient sanctuary, partially in ruins, stood on a promontory of the Dangrek range of mountains which constituted the boundary between Cambodia and Thailand.

The dispute had its fons et origo in the boundary settlements made in the period 1904-1908 between France, then conducting the foreign relations of Indo-China, and Siam.

The application of the Treaty of 13 February, 1904 was, in particular, involved [in which Thailand swapped part of the Mekong territories, namely Battambang, Siam Riep and Sri Sophon, in exchange for Chanthaburi, Trat and Dan Sai district in Loei province]. That Treaty established the general character of the frontier, the exact boundary of which was to be delimited by a Franco-Siamese Mixed Commission.

In the eastern sector of the Dangrek range, in which Preah Vihear was situated, the frontier was to follow the watershed line.

For the purpose of delimiting that frontier, it was agreed, at a meeting held on 2 December, 1906, that the Mixed Commission should travel along the Dangrek range carrying out all the necessary reconnaissance, and that a survey officer of the French section of the Commission should survey the whole of the eastern part of the range.

It had not been contested that the Presidents of the French and Siamese sections duly made this journey, in the course of which they visited the Temple of Preah Vihear.

In January-February 1907, the President of the French section had reported to his Government that the frontier-line had been definitely established.

It therefore seemed clear that a frontier had been surveyed and fixed, although there was no record of any decision and no reference to the Dangrek region in any minutes of the meetings of the Cornmission after 2 December, 1906.

Moreover, at the time, when the Commission might have met for the purpose of winding up its work, attention was directed towards the conclusion of a further Franco-Siamese boundary treaty, the Treaty of 23 March, 1907.

The final stage of the delimitation was the preparation of maps. The Siamese Goverment, which did not dispose of adequate technical means had requested that French officers should map the frontier region.

These maps were completed in the autumn of 1907 by a team of French officers, some of whom had been members of the Mixed Commission, and they were communicated to the Siamese Government in 1908. Amongst them was a map of the Dangrek range showing Preah Vihear on the Cambodian side.

It was on that map (filed as Annex I to its Memorial) that Cambodia had principally relied in support of her claim to sovereignty over the Temple. Thailand, on the other hand, had contended that the map, not being the work of the Mixed Commission, had no binding character; that the frontier indicated on it was not the true watershed line and that the true watershed line would place the Temple in Thailand; that the map had never been accepted by Thailand or, alternatively, that if Thailand had accepted it, she had done so only because of a mistaken belief that the frontier indicated corresponded with the watershed line.

The Annex 1 map was never formally approved by the Mixed Commission, which had ceased to function some months before its production.

While there could be no reasonable doubt that it was based on the work of the surveying officers in the Dangrek sector, the Court nevertheless concluded that, in its inception, it had no binding character.

It was clear from the record, however, that the maps were communicated to the Siamese Government as purporting to represent the outcome of the work of delimitation; since there was no reaction on the part of the Siamese authorities, either then or for many years, they must be held to have acquiesced.

The maps were moreover communicated to the Siamese members of the Mixed Commission, who said nothing, to the Siamese Minister of the Interior, Prince Damrong, who thanked the French Minister in Bangkok for them, and to the Siamese provincial governors, some of whom knew of Preah Vihear.

If the Siamese authorities accepted the Annex 1 map without investigation, they could not now plead any error vitiating the reality of their consent.

The Siamese Government and later the Thai Government had raised no query about the Annex 1 map prior to its negotiations with Cambodia in Bangkok in 1958. But in 1934-1935 a survey had established a divergence between the map line and the true line of the watershed, and other maps had been produced showing the Temple as being in Thailand: Thailand had nevertheless continued also to use and indeed to publish maps showing Preah Vihear as lying in Cambodia.

Moreover, in the course of the negotiations for the 1925 and 1937 Franco-Siamese Treaties, which confirmed the existing frontiers, and in 1947 in Washington before the Franco-Siamese Conciliation Commission, it would have been natural for Thailand to raise the matter: she did not do so.

The natural inference was that she had accepted the frontier at Preah Vihear as it was drawn on the map, irrespective of its correspondence with the watershed line. Thailand had stated that, having been, at all material times, in possession of Preah Vihear, she had had no need to raise the matter; she had indeed instanced the acts of her administrative authorities on the ground as evidence that she had never accepted the Annex 1 line at Preah Vihear. But the Court found it difficult to regard such local acts as negativing the consistent attitude of the central authorities.

Moreover, when in 1930 Prince Damrong, on a visit to the Temple, was officially received there by the French Resident for the adjoining Cambodian province, Siam failed to react.

From these facts, the Court concluded that Thailand had accepted the Annex I map.Even if there were any doubt in this connection, Thailand was now precluded from assserting that she had not accepted it since France and Cambodia had relied upon her acceptance and she had for 50 years enjoyed such benefits as the Treaty of 1904 had conferred on her.

Furthermore, the acceptance of the Annex 1 map caused it to enter the treaty settlement; the Parties had at that time adopted an interpretation of that settlement which caused the map line to prevail over the provisions of the Treaty and, as there was no reason to think that the Parties had attached any special importance to the line of watershed as such, as compared with the overriding importance of a final regdation of their own frontiers, the Court considered that the interpretation to be given now would be the same.

The Court therefore felt bound to pronounce in favour of the frontier indicated on the Annex I map in the disputed area and it became unnecessary to consider whether the line as mapped did in fact correspond to the true watershed line.

For these reasons, the Court upheld the submissions of Cambodia concerning sovereignty over Preah Vihear.

The Hague, 15 June, 1962

Indonesia still hopes for talks

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Published: 5/05/2011 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

JAKARTA : Indonesia remains positive that Thailand and Cambodia will resume talks on their border dispute, either bilaterally or with Jakarta's presence, says the country's foreign minister.

Indonesia's efforts to help broker talks between the two countries failed after the Thai military refused to attend a General Border Committee meeting, and opposed the terms of reference for the deployment of Indonesian observers in the disputed areas along the Thai-Cambodian border.

"I'm not pessimistic about the conclusion of the ToR," Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the Asean Civil Society Conference and the Asean People's Forum.

Mr Marty said he looked forward to talking to his Thai and Cambodian counterparts during the Asean summit. The two sides could meet, but he could not say if a meeting would include him as a third party.

Diplomatic sources said that Indonesia's global status was tested recently when the US backed India's role in global peace-building and security-making, an area for which Indonesia has been pitching itself globally. The stalled Jakarta-chaired Thai-Cambodian dialogue dealt another blow to Indonesia's stature.

Indonesia in February succeeded initially in getting Asean to help tackle the border conflict and later on in hosting the Thai-Cambodian joint boundary committee meeting.

But Cambodia's move last week to petition the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice to intervene in the border fight bypassed and undermined the role of Asean, and particularly Indonesia, in bringing and end to the conflict, the sources said.

They predicted the foreign ministers of the two sides would eventually meet, while Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen might wait to meet the future prime minister of Thailand after the national election in June.

Meanwhile, Ngin Saorath, executive director of the Cambodian Disabled Peoples' Organisation, said he was disappointed that border clashes continued.

"I grew up during the Pol Pot regime. We are fed up with wars. There should be no more war, either internally or with neighbours," said the 40-year-old disabled, a native of Ta Kaew province.

He did not believe the Thai border conflict would benefit the Hun Sen administration politically at home.

"Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power for a long uninterrupted period. He has a good grip on power and he does not need to wage war to strengthen his status," Mr Saorath said.

MFA reaffirms help for 2 Thai detainees in Cambodia

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Thursday, 05 May 2011

By NNT

BANGKOK, 3 May 2011 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that coordination has been continually made with the Cambodian government on the assistance for two Thai nationals in the Cambodian jail over spy charges.

A group of senators recently called for the Foreign Ministry to expedite help for Mr Weera Somkwamkid and Ms Ratree Pipattanapaiboon, who had been detained at Prey Sar Prison in Phnom Penh for over four months for illegal entry and espionage. As a response, Secretary to the Foreign Minister Chavanond Intarakomalyasut insisted that the Ministry had been cooperating with the Cambodian side on a constant basis in aid of the two.

He pointed out that the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh had been delivering meals and necessities to them every day and had been following up their health conditions closely.

Mr Chavanond admitted that the latest series of clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border had complicated Thailand’s communication with the neighboring country. Nonetheless, he said the Foreign Ministry had never neglected the two Thai detainees.

Furthermore, the Secretary announced that permission had been granted by Cambodia for any person from Thailand to pay a visit to the detainees on Fridays without the need to notify the Cambodian Interior Ministry in advance.

Thailand, Cambodia Reach Truce After Deadly Border Clashes

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By Caitlin Huey-Burns

Posted: May 4, 2011

Officials in Thailand and Cambodia reached a tentative truce, according to reports, after artillery battles between the two countries’ security forces erupted several days ago. The fighting is not over, though it has been reduced. More than a dozen people, including at least one civilian, have reportedly been killed in the clashes over which nation can claim a pair of ancient temples that are popular with tourists along their ill-defined border. The thousands of people displaced from their homes by the fighting last week are starting to return to their villages.

It remains unclear which side started the fighting, as each country blames the other. The dispute has been the source of several violent conflicts over the past two years, after Cambodia received U.N. World Heritage Site status for a temple near the border, prompting Thailand to contest ownership. The current skirmish, which comes as Thailand prepares to hold elections as early as June, is the second since February, when military forces fought over ownership of the ancient Preah Vihear temple.

Request for interpretation of the Judgment rendered by the Court on 15 June 1962 in the case concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand)

Thai troops station at Thai-Cambodia border: Thai Army chief

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BANGKOK, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Thai Army Chief General Prayut Chan- O-Cha has confirmed that Thai troops have been stationing along the Thai-Cambodian border despite ceasefire agreement has been reached, Thai National News Bureau reports on Wednesday.

General Prayut said that there might be still skirmishes along the border despite the ceasefire agreement has been reached. Therefore, military officers have been ordered to exercise maximum caution in their operation and retaliate against the Cambodian side only if necessary.

The army chief disclosed that the Cambodian side will seek a negotiation in regional commander level again in one or two days. The Thai army will reassess the situation based on whether there are further clashes after the talks. If so, further talks will no longer be needed.

General Prayut also expressed his sorrow for the deaths and injuries of Thai officers in the border clashes. He said that he did not want to see the clashes spread to other areas, adding that it was easy to win the war, but more difficult to solve its negative impact after the fighting.

The army chief added that the Thai military have prepared data gathered from each skirmish to be used as evidence if the issue is taken to the international level. In order to verify that the Thai side has never opened fire first.

The latest round of clashes between Thai and Cambodia troops have erupted on April 22, killing at least 8 Thais and injured about 80 others.

Editor: Yang Lina

Thai-Cambodian border tension eases: Army Region 2 commander

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SURIN, May 4 – Tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border have now relaxed and the troops of both sides have pledged to resolve the border dispute by negotiation, Thai Army Region 2 commander Lt-Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn said on Wednesday.

The Thai regional military commander said after visiting soldiers injured in the clashes which erupted April 22, when both parties used heavy weapons causing casualties among the troops and residents of the two countries.

Gen Thawatchai said the situation has now eased since no heavy weapons such as artillery or rocket launchers have been used recently.

"Today I have talked with the Cambodian field commander and urged him to avoid any possible clash," Gen Thawatchai stated. "If any misunderstanding does occur, both sides will talk to solve the conflict and reduce suspicion."

Gen Thawatchai reported that there were no clashes Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, the Thai-Cambodian border at the Chong Chom crossing in Surin province reopened this morning to allow trading to resume.

The Thai commander said that re-opening the border pass would allow people on both sides of the border to resume their normal life, while affirming the opening or closure of border pass will not be a condition to pressure Cambodia to stop shooting.

In other developments, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Wednesday that Thai ambassador to the Hague Weerachai Palasai will head the Thai delegation in contesting the case reopened by Cambodia at the International Court of Justice seeking to clarify the 1962 ruling on the land surrounding Preah Vihear temple.

Mr Kasit, who has just returned from a Geneva meeting with the three newly-appointed legal advisers from Australia, Canada and France, said Thailand and Cambodia are scheduled to clarify the matter to the court on May 30-31 focusing on the provisional measures requested by Cambodia.

Cambodia has urged the court to interpret its 1962 judgment regarding Preah Vihear temple, as well as issue an urgent indication for provisional measures including an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Thai troops from the contested land near the temple and the ban of all Thai military activity in the area.

The Thai legal team comprises 15 persons including three foreigners and foreign ministry officials, Mr Kasit said.

After the verbal clarification to the court, Mr Kasit said, it will take about four to five months to complete the written statement to be submitted. The ruling is expected after New Year. (MCOT online news)

Si Sa Ket border crossing reopened

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Published: 4/05/2011 at 04:52 PM

Online news: Local News

The Chong Sa-ngam border checkpoint in Phu Sing district of Si Sa Ket province was re-opened on Wednesday, 13 days after after being closed because of fighting on the border between Thai and Cambodian forces.

Si Sa Ket governor Somsak Suwansucharit said today he ordered the reopening of Chong Sa-ngam border crossing at 1.30pm. It was closed on April 22.

However, all was still quiet at the crossing today. It was expected border trade would fully resume on Sunday, May 8, the governor said.

Earlier today, the Chong Jom border checkpoint in Kap Choeng district of Surin was reopened at 10am after a ceasefire agreement was reached between Lt-Gen Tawatchai Samutsakhon, the 2nd Army chief, and Lt-Gen Chea Mon, commander of Cambodia's 4th Army Region.

Thai-Cambodian border crossing reopened Wednesday

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BANGKOK, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Chong Chom/O'Smach immigration checkpoint on the Thai-Cambodian border in Thailand's northeastern Surin province was reopened on Wednesday morning after military leaders of both sides held another round of ceasefire talks.

Lt-Gen Tawatchai Samutsakhon, Thailand's Army Region 2 commander, went across the border to meet Lt-Gen Chea Mon, commander of Cambodia's 4th Army Region, at the O'Smach Resort Hotel where the two military commanders discussed strict implementation of a ceasefire, the Bangkok Post online reported.

They agreed that if a clash took place, the unit commanders of the two sides must immediately contact each other to stop it and prevent it from recurring.

Chong Chom/O'Smach crossing was subsequently opened at 10 a.m. local time to the relief of traders on both sides of the border. It had been closed for 13 days since the latest round of border fighting between the two neighboring countries erupted near the Ta Muen Thom and Ta Kwai temples on April 22, halting cross-border trade.

Both Thai and Cambodian traders were expected to fully resume business, according to the report.

Truce agreement that the field commanders of both sides reached on April 28 was breached as the border skirmishes continued on April 29. The situation in the border area has become stable over the past few days with only small-arms clashes occurred occasionally. A Thai soldier was killed while three others wounded from gunfire exchanges Monday night and early Tuesday.

Editor: Yang Lina

Veerachai appointed head of legal team for ICJ's case

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By The Nation

Thailand has contracted foreign legal advisers to assist Thailand in the disputes with Cambodia at the International Court of Justice known as world court.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said on Wednesday that he already discuss the dispute with three legal advisers during his recent visit to Geneva of Switzerland.

Cambodia has asked the World Court to clarify its 1962 ruling about Preah Vihear Temple on its disputed border with Thailand.

Cambodia told the ICJ in its complaint that the request "for the interpretation of the Court's judgment concerning the temple of Preah Vihear was prompted by "Thailand's repeated armed aggression to exert its claims to Cambodian territory.

"My meeting with the foreign legal advisers is a preparation for Thailand's defence in the world court against Cambodia's complaint," Kasit said.

The Thai legal team on the matter is Thai Ambassador to the Hague Veerachai Palasrai, a former director general of Legal Department, Foreign Minisstry.

Veerachai's team will work together with the foreign adviser, Kasit said.

The World Court has invited Thailand to enter the verbal argument session from May 30 to 31 and Veerachai will represent Thailand in the session.

Both countries will present their documents and arguments in the session. It is expected that the World Court may be able to rule.

Cambodian, Thai military commanders agree to ceasefire over border row

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PHNOM PENH, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian and Thai military commanders on Wednesday agreed to a ceasefire again, Lt Gen Chhum Socheat, the spokesman for Cambodian Ministry of Defense, said Wednesday.

The latest ceasefire promise was made on Wednesday morning between Cambodian Major General Chea Mon, commander of Military Region 4, and Lt Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn, commander of Thai Army Region 2, in a 30-minute meeting at O'smach border checkpoint in Oddar Meanchey province, Chhum Socheat said. "Both sides have agreed to six points."

"The most important agreed point is the ceasefire," he said, adding that both sides agreed to allow two soldiers of each side to standby at Ta Mon temple and Ta Krabei temple in order to make the situation to return to normalcy as it was before April 22.

Moreover, both sides agreed to trust on each other, and to allow all evacuated villagers to return homes.

Also, they promised to re-open O'smach and Anlong Veng border checkpoints, which had been closed since the latest fighting, Chhum Socheat said.

The latest series of bloodiest fighting between Cambodia and Thai troops happened from April 22 to May 3 at the 13th century Ta Mon temple and Ta Krabei temple, which lie 150 kilometers west of Preah Vihear Temple.

It had killed 18 people on both sides including nine Cambodian soldiers, eight Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian; and it forced nearly 100,000 civilians on both sides to flee home for safe shelters.

Both sides blamed each other for firstly triggering the attacks.

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.

Editor: Yang Lina

Surin, Si Sa Ket border crossings re-open

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Published: 4/05/2011

Online news: News

Two checkpoints on the Thai-Cambodian border, in Surin and Si Sa Ket, re-open on Wednesday after local military leaders of both countries held another round of ceasefire talks.

Photo by Nopparat Kingkaew

The Chong Jom - O-Smach immigration checkpoints in Surin's Kap Choeng district was reopened at 10am Wednesday.

Field reports said Lt-Gen Tawatchai Samutsakhon, the 2nd Army commander, went across the border to meet Lt-Gen Chea Mon, commander of Cambodia's 4th Army Region, at the O-Smach Resort Hotel not far from the crossing.

The two military commanders discussed strict implementation of a ceasefire. They agreed that if there is a clash then the unit commanders of the two sides must immediately contact each other to stop it and prevent it from recurring.

They also agreed to re-open the Chong Jom - O-Smach immigration checkpoint.

After the talks, Lt-Gen Tawatchai flew by helicopter to visit wounded soldiers at a military hospital in Surin province.

The Chong Jom - O-Smach crossing was subsequently opened at 10am to the relief of traders on both sides of the border. It had been closed for 13 days, halting cross-border trade and leaving them without an income.

Both Thai and Cambodian traders were expected to fully resume business in Chong Jom - O-Smach tomorrow.

In Si Sa Ket's Phu Sing district, the Chong Sa-ngam border checkpoint was re-opened, 13 days after after being closed because of fighting on the border.

Si Sa Ket governor Somsak Suwansucharit said he ordered the reopening of Chong Sa-ngam crossing at 1.30pm. It was closed on April 22.

However, all was still quiet at the crossing today. It was expected border trade would fully resume on Sunday, May 8, Mr Somsak said.

All evacuees return home, border fighting silent: Cambodian PM

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PHNOM PENH, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday all remaining evacuees due to the latest border clashes with Thailand have returned home, and there was no weapons explosion at night of Tuesday until early Wednesday.

"The remaining 200 evacuated families, whose houses are closed to the fighting zones, have all returned home by Wednesday morning," Hun Sen said during an inauguration ceremony of premises in a Buddhist pagoda in Phnom Penh.

The premier added that the night of Tuesday until early Wednesday morning was the "first night" that there was not the sound of weapons explosion since the fighting from April 22-May 3 at Ta Mon temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province.

"Now both sides' front-line military commanders agreed to a ceasefire, they built a mutual trust on each other," he said.

The latest series of bloodiest fighting between Cambodia and Thai troops had killed 18 people on both sides including nine Cambodian soldiers, eight Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian; and it forced nearly 100,000 civilians on both sides to flee home for safe shelters.

Both sides blamed each other for firstly triggering the attacks.

Prime Minister Hun Sen will lead a high delegation to attend the 18th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN) on May 7 to 8 in Jakarta, Indonesia, according to the media release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

"The summit will discuss a wide range of issues...specially the situation at the border between Cambodia and Thailand," said the statement.

Cambodian and Thai border has never been completely demarcated. The conflict has occurred a week after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.

Editor: Chen Zhi