AlJazeera : Preah Vihear Dispute

[GolfCambodia]

Video posted on Youtube 25 June 2011;

[Phuket2006]

Thailand leaves World Heritage Convention

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/06/26/national/Thailand-leaves-World-Heritage-Convention-30158739.html

[SunSan]

How utterly childish.

It's so bad it's nearly good. The democrats have completely lost the plot.

But when Puea Thai takes over after the election they''ll reverse it.

[barangdave]

'We are not a third-world banana republic'.

Very true.

More a 'coconut monarchy'.

[SunSan]

Thai UNESCO snub sparks tension

Prime Minister HE said troops stationed on Cambodia’s border with Thailand were on high alert yesterday, after Bangkok announced it was withdrawing from talks at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee on Saturday.

At a graduation ceremony at Phnom Penh’s Chaktumok Hall yesterday, the premier said he feared clashes could erupt after Thailand reportedly walked out of the Paris talks over the weekend.

“They were angry walking out from the summit and they whispered to one ambassador that they will go back to fight. Therefore, I ordered the military to immediately [start] monitoring the situation from midnight [on Sunday],” he claimed, adding that all troops along the border were on high alert.

Thai National Army chief Prayuth Chanocha had also placed his border forces on alert, the Bangkok Post reported yesterday.

“Thai and Cambodian soldiers have been in contact on a regular basis since the last clashes along the border, but there’s not a high degree of trust between them yet,” the Bangkok Post quoted Prayuth as saying.

Also yesterday, UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova issued a statement expressing her “deep regret” that Thai minister Suwit Khunkitti had declared Thailand’s intention to denounce the 1972 World Heritage Convention – a treaty designed to advance the protect-ion and preservation of cultural and natural sites – during the talks.

UNESCO said the World Heritage Committee had made a decision on the matter that “further encourages the two countries to use the 1972 Convention as a tool to support conservation, sustainable development and dialogue”.

The statement also denied “widely circulated” media reports that discussion of Cambodia’s proposed management plan for the Preah Vihear temple was discussed during the 10-day summit that began in Paris on June 19.

Suwit Khunkitti had cited the refusal of a Thai proposal to delay the proposed plan as one of the reasons Thailand had withdrawn from the summit, the Bangkok Post reported on Sunday.

The UNESCO statement noted that a request by Thailand to adjourn debate was “not supported by any other member” of the WHC.

Thai Government and military officials could not be reached for comment yesterday. A UNESCO spokesperson declined to comment further.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/ ... nsion.html

Abhisit takes the low road

The government's decision to walk away from the World Heritage Convention is troubling on several levels. The group is part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, and Unesco has always been an unreliable arm of the UN. But the reason given by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to quit the WHC seems more of a technical problem than an outright threat to the nation. Indeed, Mr Abhisit's initial attempt to explain why Thailand is pulling all support from the convention is confusing and unconvincing.

According to Mr Abhisit, the members of the World Heritage Committee, meeting in Paris, are determined to move ahead on a plan by Cambodia to manage the Preah Vihear temple. A few words in the draft version of the plan are troubling. The Cambodian-written submission says that the temple needs "restoration" and "repair". The prime minister says that these references might be construed to mean that Thailand had damaged Preah Vihear, maybe during the recent and deadly military battles in the southern area of Si Sa Ket. But Mr Abhisit's justification of a walkout over this possibility is as vague as the wording itself.

The premier said the actual decision to walk away from the WHC was made by the minister of natural resources and environment. Suwit Khunkitti has performed admirably and for a very long time over this issue. When he phoned Mr Abhisit in Bangkok to tell him of the walkout, Mr Abhisit backed him. Shortly afterwards, the Cambodian proposal was amended, and the reference to repair was removed. Too late, Mr Abhisit and Mr Suwit claim.

Unesco chief Irina Bokova said she regrets the Thai decision, and hopes the government will reconsider. That is a problem because of the election, and Mr Abhisit has washed his hands of the issue and handed it to the next prime minister. Ms Bokova claimed that the Cambodian plan for temple management never was discussed formally.

The recent encounters with the World Heritage organisation, and indeed with Cambodia, are sadly reminiscent of the 1962 legal case. Back then, Thai authorities were certain that the country's case for ownership of Khao Phra Viharn was obvious. Contemporary media reports show that MR Seni Pramoj was in a positively jaunty mood as he set off for the International Court of Justice. Everyone could see that the temple was clearly in Thailand. What could go wrong? Cambodia, on the other hand, went to the World Court with fiercely prepared advocates, who convinced the judges that the law was on their side.

The public presentation of this year's case to both the ICJ and the World Heritage Committee meeting has been woefully inadequate.

In one speech last year, Mr Abhisit called on the nation to support the government over the issue but presented no case to the public. Instead, he backtracked and flip-flopped. Only last February, on his regular television talk, the premier said Thailand would never quit the World Heritage Committee. He said Unesco supported the Thai position, and that the WHC would surely reject the Cambodian plan to manage the temple and its grounds.

When the going got tough, Thailand got going. It lowers the respect for Thailand in world opinion. It even gave Pheu Thai one more issue with which to criticise the government. Thailand now is out in the cold while the WHC discusses the future of Preah Vihear temple. Thailand must rejoin the Unesco group, to protect the country's interests.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... e-low-road

Once again the current Thai government manages to come accross as arrogant and childish at the same time.

Next Monday they'll be either out or there'll be a coup. What dipshits.

[Phuket2006]

Provinces Near Thai-Cambodian Border Brace for Possible Tensions

Villagers residing along the Thai–Cambodian border have been notified of an immediate evacuation plan, for fear of possible fresh clashes, after Thailand's withdrawal from the World Heritage Convention.

Meanwhile, the Region 2 Army commander has reaffirmed troop readiness for combat.

Region 2 Army Commander, Lieutenant General Tawatchai Samutsakhon, along with Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Governor Rapee Phongbupakit, local Red Cross members and business people, visited the 26th Army Ranger Company in Surin's Phanom Dongrak District to give cash aid to families of military officers and volunteer rangers who were killed on duty in clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border, to boost their morale.

Tawatchai said the Army is reorganizing troops for combat and has prepared reinforcements as well as emergency plans.

He added that both Thai and Cambodian troops are in constant communication, and relations remain normal.

There have been no additional reinforcements on the Thai side, but soldiers have been instructed to be on high alert.

In Buriram Province, Provincial Governor Thanee Samartkit has urged the military, police, and other security agencies in Baan Kruad and Laharnsai districts to step up safety measures and surveillance along the border, to prevent possible clashes.

Most recently, there have been reports of mysterious gunfire from the Cambodian side, but no mobilization of troops or weapons was seen at the border.

Thanee said the Comptroller's General Department is considering a budget for the construction of bunkers at border villagers in the two districts.

-- Tan Network 2011-06-29

Lets see who wins on monday and what happens

[SunSan]

One lady from the election commission has allegedly already said if there's fighting on the border that would be considered an emergency grave enough to postpone the elections.

So, actually you can win 'em all! Especially if you're the present Thai government.

[Phuket2006]

The longstanding border conflict with Cambodia is not a factor which could derail Sunday's general election, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said while campaigning in Samut Sakhon on Wednesday morning.

The caretaker prime minister was referring to reported comments by Cambodian Prime Minister HE, that Thailand would launch an attack across the border into Cambodia and then use the border conflict as a reason to cancel the election.

Mr Abhisit said he did not worry about the border situation because he was confident the Thai military was ready to protect the country.

He said there was no reason for Thai forces to clash with Cambodian soldiers and the election would definitely not be cancelled.

However, he admitted that polling in certain localities could still be postponed for other reasons.

HE should not be trying to interfere in Thai politics, he said.

# Published: 29/06/2011 at 12:30 PM
# Online news: Bangkok Post

[SunSan]

Woohoo!

The military government got a good trashing!

[vladimir]

Love it when dicks in uniform get a whipping.

[Pecahead]

My latest post at the Foreign Policy Association is on the Thai-Cambodia relationship and the Preah Vihear dispute after the recent Pheu Thai electoral victory:

http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2011/07/1 ... ons-reset/

[Pecahead]

Picked up by The Diplomat:

http://the-diplomat.com/asean-beat/2011 ... odia-ties/

The result wasn’t just a repudiation of economic policy by the rural majority but, as noted by one Thai civil servant, a refection of nearly three years of failed foreign policies under Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his administration. Thailand’s relationship with global and regional hegemons – the United States, China, and Russia, all fellow members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation – will most likely remain unchanged. However, relations between Thailand and Cambodia is where many observers can expect to see a shift.

[Pecahead]

Despite the ICJ ruling, both militaries have remained in place around the temple. Yesterday, a Cambodian soldier was killed. Below, I briefly discuss the significance of that as well as the broader dispute that is possible between the Thai military and the new Pheu Thai government.

http://foreignpolicyblogs.com/2011/07/2 ... heterodox/