Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Fresh talks on border squabble
THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
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Thailand and Cambodia will hold border talks next week followed by a meeting of foreign ministers in a fresh attempt to resolve the land border dispute.
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| Tharit: Patience is essential |
The Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) has been set for Monday and Tuesday in Siem Reap, and the disputed 4.6-square-kilometre area surrounding Preah Vihear temple is high on the agenda, foreign affairs spokesman Tharit Charungwat said yesterday.
Mr Tharit said patience was needed. An agreement could not be expected overnight, despite the best intentions to resolve the problem through bilateral negotiations.
"I'm glad both sides have agreed to bilateral talks, but we all must exercise restraint because many rounds of talks can be expected," said Mr Tharit.
Field survey teams from both countries may be going to the borders during the talks, he added.
Both countries claim sovereignty over the disputed area. Thailand says it is in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket, but Cambodia insists it is part of its Preah Vihear province.
The JBC meeting comes after parliament last week approved a negotiation framework with Cambodia.
Vasin Teeravechyan, the retired Thai ambassador to South Korea, heads the Thai team to the JBC meeting. He yesterday attended the preparatory meeting at the Foreign Ministry.
The Cambodian side is led by Senior Minister Var Kim Hong.
Mr Tharit said Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong will meet on Nov 12 in Siem Reap after the JBC forum.
He said Cambodia may also raise other disputed areas, such as Ta Muean Thom and Ta Kwai temples, during the ministerial talks, as it had previously intended to at the last meeting in August.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Cambodia reports temple damage to UN
BANGKOK POST AND AFP
Cambodia has lodged a complaint with the United Nations accusing Thai troops of damaging the ancient Preah Vihear temple during a border shootout earlier this month, an official said yesterday. Phay Siphan, spokesman for Cambodia's Council of Ministers, said a staircase and a sculpture at the ruins were damaged by rocket fire.
A complaint was filed with the UN cultural body Unesco a few days after the firefight erupted on Oct 15 near Preah Vihear, a World Heritage Site at the centre of the long-running territorial dispute.
''Preah Vihear temple was intentionally damaged by Thai troops, because we found the remnants of grenades ... near the temple and there were no Cambodian soldiers stationed nearby,'' Phay Siphan said.
''The Preah Vihear authority has sent pictures of the damage to Unesco.''
The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday denied Thai soldiers had damaged the 11th-century Khmer temple.
The Second Army, in charge of the northeastern region, insisted that no heavy weapons or rockets were used that day.
Phnom Penh's complaint to the UN agency comes as the two countries attempt to resolve the border row, which is centred on the disputed area between Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket province and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat met Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen on Friday in Beijing while attending the Asia-Europe Summit.
Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat said the talks were amicable and quoted Hun Sen as saying the fighting on the border should not have occurred.
The Cambodian leader also supported attempts to prevent future clashes through bilateral talks and the need to urgently untangle the overlapping borders by the Joint Boundary Commission and maintain trade and investment ties.
The government will seek parliamentary approval tomorrow for border negotiations with Cambodia, he added.
Tensions between Cambodia and Thailand flared in July when Preah Vihear was awarded UN World Heritage status, rekindling long-simmering tensions over ownership of 4.6 sq km of land surrounding the temple.
Three Cambodian soldiers and one Thai soldier were killed in the clashes on Oct 15.
Preah Vihear, with its elegant carvings and crumbling stone staircases, is the most important example of ancient Khmer architecture outside Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple complex.
Although the World Court ruled in 1962 that it belonged to Cambodia, the most accessible entrance is in Kantharalak district
Cambodia has lodged a complaint with the United Nations accusing Thai troops of damaging the ancient Preah Vihear temple during a border shootout earlier this month, an official said yesterday. Phay Siphan, spokesman for Cambodia's Council of Ministers, said a staircase and a sculpture at the ruins were damaged by rocket fire.
A complaint was filed with the UN cultural body Unesco a few days after the firefight erupted on Oct 15 near Preah Vihear, a World Heritage Site at the centre of the long-running territorial dispute.
''Preah Vihear temple was intentionally damaged by Thai troops, because we found the remnants of grenades ... near the temple and there were no Cambodian soldiers stationed nearby,'' Phay Siphan said.
''The Preah Vihear authority has sent pictures of the damage to Unesco.''
The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday denied Thai soldiers had damaged the 11th-century Khmer temple.
The Second Army, in charge of the northeastern region, insisted that no heavy weapons or rockets were used that day.
Phnom Penh's complaint to the UN agency comes as the two countries attempt to resolve the border row, which is centred on the disputed area between Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket province and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat met Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen on Friday in Beijing while attending the Asia-Europe Summit.
Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat said the talks were amicable and quoted Hun Sen as saying the fighting on the border should not have occurred.
The Cambodian leader also supported attempts to prevent future clashes through bilateral talks and the need to urgently untangle the overlapping borders by the Joint Boundary Commission and maintain trade and investment ties.
The government will seek parliamentary approval tomorrow for border negotiations with Cambodia, he added.
Tensions between Cambodia and Thailand flared in July when Preah Vihear was awarded UN World Heritage status, rekindling long-simmering tensions over ownership of 4.6 sq km of land surrounding the temple.
Three Cambodian soldiers and one Thai soldier were killed in the clashes on Oct 15.
Preah Vihear, with its elegant carvings and crumbling stone staircases, is the most important example of ancient Khmer architecture outside Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat temple complex.
Although the World Court ruled in 1962 that it belonged to Cambodia, the most accessible entrance is in Kantharalak district
Thailand rejects Cambodian claims of damage to Preah Vihear
BORDER DISPUTE
By Supalak GanjanakhundeeThe NationPublished on October 28, 2008
Thailand yesterday dismissed Cambodian claims of damage to the World Heritage site of Preah Vihear Temple during the recent shoot-out, saying it was the other side that had dispatched troops with heavy weaponry at the temple and its vicinity.
"We're verifying the presence of Cambodian troops at the temple, because we understand that placing troops at a World Heritage site violates the World Heritage Convention," said Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Virasakdi Futrakul.
A military report indicated Cambodian troops had fired rockets from the temple onto the Thai side, he added.
Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said on Sunday that his government has lodged a complaint with the United Nations accusing Thai troops of damaging the ancient Preah Vihear Temple.
The complaint was filed with Unesco, the UN's cultural body, a few days after the firefight broke out on October 15 near Preah Vihear, he said.
A staircase and a sculpture of the mythical Naga creature were hit by rocket fire at the 11th-century Khmer ruins, he said.
However, Thai ambassador to Paris Thana Duangrat reported to the ministry that there was no record of a Cambodian complaint submitted to Unesco.
"We have evidence proving Cambodia fired the rockets from Preah Vihear Temple at Thai troops," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat.
The ministry has checked the facts with the Second Army Area, which confirmed that on October 15, Thai soldiers, fired upon by Cambodian troops in the vicinity of Pha Mor I Daeng, used only rifles in their defence, he said.
In accordance with strict orders, Thai troops have not used heavy firearms or rocket launchers near Wat Phra Viharn, as it is called in Thai, and never fired at the temple.
On the contrary, Cambodian soldiers opened fired on Thai soldiers positioned near the twin stupas in the vicinity of Pha Mor I Daeng with recoilless guns and rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), Tharit said.
The rockets landed near the twin stupas, wounding two Thai soldiers. Some also landed in Preah Vihear National Park in the vicinity of Laan Chom Dao and the park's residences. The Thai side later found two RPGs fired by the Cambodian side that had landed but failed to explode and has kept both of them for evidence, he said.
Cambodia's latest move could make the border problem more complicated and difficult to resolve, he said.
By Supalak GanjanakhundeeThe NationPublished on October 28, 2008
Thailand yesterday dismissed Cambodian claims of damage to the World Heritage site of Preah Vihear Temple during the recent shoot-out, saying it was the other side that had dispatched troops with heavy weaponry at the temple and its vicinity.
"We're verifying the presence of Cambodian troops at the temple, because we understand that placing troops at a World Heritage site violates the World Heritage Convention," said Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Virasakdi Futrakul.
A military report indicated Cambodian troops had fired rockets from the temple onto the Thai side, he added.
Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said on Sunday that his government has lodged a complaint with the United Nations accusing Thai troops of damaging the ancient Preah Vihear Temple.
The complaint was filed with Unesco, the UN's cultural body, a few days after the firefight broke out on October 15 near Preah Vihear, he said.
A staircase and a sculpture of the mythical Naga creature were hit by rocket fire at the 11th-century Khmer ruins, he said.
However, Thai ambassador to Paris Thana Duangrat reported to the ministry that there was no record of a Cambodian complaint submitted to Unesco.
"We have evidence proving Cambodia fired the rockets from Preah Vihear Temple at Thai troops," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat.
The ministry has checked the facts with the Second Army Area, which confirmed that on October 15, Thai soldiers, fired upon by Cambodian troops in the vicinity of Pha Mor I Daeng, used only rifles in their defence, he said.
In accordance with strict orders, Thai troops have not used heavy firearms or rocket launchers near Wat Phra Viharn, as it is called in Thai, and never fired at the temple.
On the contrary, Cambodian soldiers opened fired on Thai soldiers positioned near the twin stupas in the vicinity of Pha Mor I Daeng with recoilless guns and rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), Tharit said.
The rockets landed near the twin stupas, wounding two Thai soldiers. Some also landed in Preah Vihear National Park in the vicinity of Laan Chom Dao and the park's residences. The Thai side later found two RPGs fired by the Cambodian side that had landed but failed to explode and has kept both of them for evidence, he said.
Cambodia's latest move could make the border problem more complicated and difficult to resolve, he said.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
US envoy urges Asean to take up temple issue
Phnom Penh (dpa) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations could play a key role in resolving an ongoing border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, outgoing US ambassador to Cambodia Joseph Mussomeli said at a press conference Monday.
Mussomeli, who is ending a three-year mission, said the US favoured a bilateral solution between the two neighbours over disputed territory on the northern Cambodian border.
"Cambodia and Thailand are neighbours and they will stay with each other forever," he told reporters. "Thailand needs Cambodia and Cambodia needs Thailand.
"But if bilateral negotiations fail, if after every effort you cannot find a solution, it is time to consider the option of the United Nations Security Council."
He also said one step that had been overlooked in the negotiation process which could help ensure the dispute was solved within Asian parameters was the 10-member Asean, of which both sides are members.
"That is one thing Asean could do to make itself really effective," he said.
Tensions arose last month shortly after UNESCO declared the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, around 300 kilometres from the capital, a World Heritage site over Thai objections.
Thailand sent troops into what it says is disputed territory near the temple and Cambodia says is sovereign territory.
At the end of July, Cambodia made fresh claims that Thai troops had also moved into the Ta Moan temple complex, 150 kilometres west, but Thailand disputed that, saying it had held the area for years.
Monday, August 18, 2008
RELATIONS WITH CAMBODIA
New round of border demarcation talks starts today
The Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meets today in a new bid to end the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
It comes after both sides agreed to reduce the number of troops on each side of the border.
The Suranaree Task Force and the Cambodian government confirmed yesterday that the
number of Thai and Cambodian soldiers in the overlapping zone had been reduced in line with the agreement reached last Wednesday in Surin.
The two countries still had 10 soldiers each at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near Preah Vihear temple and 45 more around the pagoda's compound for joint patrols, a source at the task force said.
The rest were spread out in the 4.6 square kilometres of land which had not been demarcated, the source said.
Thailand insists the area in dispute is in Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket, while Cambodia argues that it is part of Preah Vihear province.
Both countries finished moving most of their troops from a nearby temple on Saturday, said the source.
Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith and Hang Soth, the director-general of the Preah Vihear National Authority, a Cambodian government agency managing the historic site, confirmed the troop pullout.
''The tension has eased considerably. There is no more confrontation,'' Mr Hang Soth said, calling the troop withdrawals a ''good process giving us hope'' about the new talks.
The reduction of troops came on the eve of the meeting between Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong in Cha-am district of Phetchaburi.
The ministers will hold an informal meeting today followed by the official JBC meeting tomorrow.
The Foreign Ministry said Thailand's main agenda is to find a way to establish sovereignty of the disputed area.
Second Army chief Lt-Gen Sujit Sitthiprapa will join other Thai negotiators in the talks.
Despite the reduction of troops, the source at the task force said the army was not satisfied as another Thai demand had not been met.
Thailand proposed at the Surin meeting that Cambodia replace 1,200 soldiers on top of the temple with police as a gesture of goodwill.
The presence of the Cambodian soldiers at the temple put Thailand at a strategic disadvantage.
On July 28, the nations' foreign ministers agreed on a plan to withdraw their troops from the
disputed area near the temple.
The stand-off started on July 15 after the World Heritage Committee approved Cambodia's application to list the temple as a World Heritage site.
Both countries have long claimed the temple, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962.
The Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meets today in a new bid to end the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
It comes after both sides agreed to reduce the number of troops on each side of the border.
The Suranaree Task Force and the Cambodian government confirmed yesterday that the
number of Thai and Cambodian soldiers in the overlapping zone had been reduced in line with the agreement reached last Wednesday in Surin.
The two countries still had 10 soldiers each at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near Preah Vihear temple and 45 more around the pagoda's compound for joint patrols, a source at the task force said.
The rest were spread out in the 4.6 square kilometres of land which had not been demarcated, the source said.
Thailand insists the area in dispute is in Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket, while Cambodia argues that it is part of Preah Vihear province.
Both countries finished moving most of their troops from a nearby temple on Saturday, said the source.
Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith and Hang Soth, the director-general of the Preah Vihear National Authority, a Cambodian government agency managing the historic site, confirmed the troop pullout.
''The tension has eased considerably. There is no more confrontation,'' Mr Hang Soth said, calling the troop withdrawals a ''good process giving us hope'' about the new talks.
The reduction of troops came on the eve of the meeting between Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong in Cha-am district of Phetchaburi.
The ministers will hold an informal meeting today followed by the official JBC meeting tomorrow.
The Foreign Ministry said Thailand's main agenda is to find a way to establish sovereignty of the disputed area.
Second Army chief Lt-Gen Sujit Sitthiprapa will join other Thai negotiators in the talks.
Despite the reduction of troops, the source at the task force said the army was not satisfied as another Thai demand had not been met.
Thailand proposed at the Surin meeting that Cambodia replace 1,200 soldiers on top of the temple with police as a gesture of goodwill.
The presence of the Cambodian soldiers at the temple put Thailand at a strategic disadvantage.
On July 28, the nations' foreign ministers agreed on a plan to withdraw their troops from the
disputed area near the temple.
The stand-off started on July 15 after the World Heritage Committee approved Cambodia's application to list the temple as a World Heritage site.
Both countries have long claimed the temple, but the World Court awarded it to Cambodia in 1962.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Anti-Thai protest set for Sunday in Cambodia
Cambodian union members have been called out for an anti-Thailand protest in Phnom Penh on Sunday, and demand withdrawal of Thai troops from around the Preah Vihear temple.
The Phnom Penh Post said that the Cambodia Confederation of Unions expects hundreds of participants for the peaceful demonstration.
A letter informing the government of the protest "stated that at least 300 people would gather at the former National Assembly building and march through the city" on Sunday, the newspaper said.
Union leaders intend to demand the government press the UN Security Council to intervene in "an invasion by Thailand".
While nationalistic fervour over the controversial Cambodian temple and dispute grounds has eased in Thailand, anti-Thai protests and economic boycotts have increased in Cambodia.
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