AKP - The Agence Kampuchea Press

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Samdech Heng Samrin Leaves for AIPA Meeting in Indonesia

AKP Phnom Penh, May 6, 2011 – A high-ranking delegation of the National Assembly led by its president Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin departed here on Friday for Jakarta, Indonesia to participate in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) with the ASEAN heads of state/government, taking place from May 6 to 8.

The delegation was seen off at Phnom Penh International Airport by H.E. Nguon Nhel and H.E. Say Chhum, respectively First and Second NA Vice Presidents and other NA members.

At the meeting, Samdech Heng Samrin will deliver a speech related to security, socio-economy and good cooperation between neighboring countries, and urge the ASEAN heads of state/government to fully implement the ASEAN Charter.

The Cambodian delegation is scheduled to return home on May 8.

By SOKMOM Nimul

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PM To Raise Thai Repeated Aggressions at 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta

AKP Phnom Penh, May 6, 2011 – Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, will raise the issue of Thailand’s repeated acts of aggression against Cambodia at the ASEAN Summit to be held on May 7-8.

H.E. Sry Thamrong, Delegate Minister attached to the Prime Minister, told reporters this morning at Phnom Penh International Airport before the departure of the Cambodian delegation led by Premier Techo Hun Sen to Jakarta, Indonesia to attend the 18th ASEAN Summit at the invitation of H.E. Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia.

This issue affects the ASEAN’s image because we are building an ASEAN Community, explained the delegate minister, adding that if the fighting continues, we can not build a harmonized ASEAN Community.

According to a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the meeting will discuss a wide range of issues including the Implementation of the ASEAN Charter and Roadmap for ASEAN Community, the Implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, the ASEAN External Relations, the ASEAN Community in a Global Community of Nations, and the Exchange of Views on Regional and International Issues, especially the situation at the border between Cambodia and Thailand.

At the end of the meeting, H.E. Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Chairman of the 18th ASEAN Summit will hold a Press Conference, and an Agreement on the Establishment of ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center) will be signed by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, Samdech Techo Prime Minister will have a bilateral meeting with President of the Republic of the Philippines.

By SOKMOM Nimul

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Cambodian FM: ICJ To Hold a Session to Solve Preah Vihear Temple Border Issue on May 30

AKP Phnom Penh, May 6, 2011 – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague will hold a session from May 30 to 31 to take necessary actions for Preah Vihear Temple border issue raised by Cambodia, said Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Hor Namhong.

Before leaving Phnom Penh International Airport on May 5 for the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, H.E. Hor Namhong, also Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation told reporters that in the morning of May 30 Cambodia will be asked to present a statement for two hours, while in the afternoon Thailand will be asked to give a clarification for two hours.

“In the morning of May 31, Cambodia will be allowed to present arguments for half an hour, while in the afternoon Thailand will reply back,” he said.

ICJ will decide what urgent necessary actions will be taken to ensure a ceasefire, stability and security along the deputed border, as well as keeping the calmness so that ICJ could clarify the 1962 verdict on Preah Vihear Temple, he said, adding that the interpretation will take a little long time.

The Cambodian foreign minister recalled Cambodia’s petition filed on April 28, saying that Cambodia asked ICJ to take immediate necessary actions for how to make a ceasefire.

Cambodia has not just made a preparation for the resolution at this time, he said, we have prepared this matter for many years, referring to Cambodia’s preparation to enter the meeting to deal with the dispute issue requested by the Cambodian side to ICJ.

Cambodian team comprises lawyers from France, England, the United State and Australia, he said.

By THOU Peou

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Statement of ICAPP Standing Committee on the Situation on the Border between Cambodia and Thailand

AKP Phnom Penh, May 6, 2011 — The International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) has issued a statement, expressing its concern on the situation that has risen on the border between Cambodia and Thailand.

The full statement reads as follows:

“Statement of ICAPP Standing Committee

on the Situation on the Border between Cambodia and Thailand

The Standing Committee of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), the most representative body representing the ruling, opposition and independent parties, at its meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 5, 2011, expresses its serious concern on the situation that has risen on the border between Cambodia and Thailand, particularly the recent clashes, including large-scale artillery operations, the use of cluster ammunitions and ground assaults. The ICAPP Standing Committee endorses the statement of the United Nations Secretary General, His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, urging both countries to take “immediate measures for an effective and verifiable ceasefire”. The ICAPP also urges the parties to establish a permanent ceasefire and resolve the situation peacefully through effective political dialogue.

The ICAPP Standing Committee welcomes the initiative of ASEAN, through its Chairman, Indonesia, for organizing a dialogue between Cambodia and Thailand. As peace-loving members of the international community, the ICAPP, voicing the sentiments of the Asian people, rejects as unacceptable the use of force and sincerely hopes that peace will prevail through dialogue and effective negotiation.

In this regard, the ICAPP Standing Committee expresses its willingness to play any role, that is desirable by both parties, to defuse the situation and to help ensure the return of normalcy on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. We also urge both sides to respect all international treaties and covenants under international law and the United Nations Charter. We ask the ASEAN leaders who will meet in Jakarta on May 7-8, 2011, in the ASEAN Summit to do their utmost to put the process in place for an effective and verifiable ceasefire, with the introduction of the ASEAN-designated Indonesian military observers.”

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DPM Sok An’s Remarks at the 15th Meeting of the ICAPP Standing Committee in Kuala Lumpur

AKP Phnom Penh, May 6, 2011 — The following is the full remarks by H.E. Sok An, Standing Committee Member of the Cambodian People’s Party, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, Member of the ICAPP Standing Committee at the 15th Meeting of the ICAPP Standing Committee in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 5, posted on the website of the Council of Ministers

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ASEAN adrift in Thai-Cambodian conflict

http://www.atimes.com/

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By Ou Virak

PHNOM PENH - Two series of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia over disputed temples and territories along their shared border have left 29 soldiers dead this year while as many as 85,000 civilians have been displaced on either side of the border since hostilities resumed on April 22. The shots and words exchanged over the border and the apparent reluctance of either side to resolve the situation have bankrupted both governments of any moral authority on the issue.

Against this background, the meeting this weekend of the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) represents an opportunity for that organization to do as the Thai and Cambodian governments have failed and to put people before politics by pushing concrete measures to end the human suffering caused by the ongoing clashes.

Theories abound as to the motivations for these clashes with many commentators concluding that their proximity to elections in Thailand indicate that they serve some internal political end for the Thai government of Abhisit Vejjajiva or some renegade nationalist military generals.

Others argue that the clashes are designed by Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen to rally nationalistic sentiment in an attempt to avert attention from domestic problems such as mass land evictions and recent and forthcoming laws that erode civil liberties or to bolster the military credentials of his son and heir in waiting, Hun Manet, who was recently promoted to two-star general and who is said to be taking charge of troops at the border.

Whatever the cause - and it may be that it is a combination of these factors - both governments appear less inclined to resolve the issue and ease tensions than they are with stoking them. For every ceasefire broken in recent days, either side has offered an explanation as to how the other side is to blame. Of even greater concern are the accusations being leveled by each side as to the other's use of illegal and disproportionately harmful weapons and tactics employed throughout the hostilities.

Thai sources accuse Cambodia of using heavy artillery and rocket launchers, using the temples as military bases and civilians as human shields to escalate the conflict in order to justify international intervention and condemnation of Thailand. Cambodia has claimed that Thai aircraft overflew its territory and that the Thai military has used disproportionately harmful weapons such as shells loaded with poisonous gases and cluster munitions, which leave a lasting legacy by releasing bomblets over a large geographical area. Cluster munitions often fail to explode on impact and are capable of exploding at a later date.

Thailand has not admitted to the use of cluster munitions in the recent conflict. However, based on two separate on-site investigations in Svay Chrum Village, Sen Chey Village and around the Preah Vihear temple after clashes in February 2011, the United Kingdom-based Cluster Munition Coalition concluded, and Thai officials subsequently confirmed, that Thailand used cluster munitions during the earlier conflict.

While there is no current evidence to suggest that Thailand - which provides electricity to much of the western parts of Cambodia - is responsible for three power failures that have occurred during the recent conflict, comments made by Thailand's energy minister and Provincial Electricity Authority governor to date suggest that the decision to cut the electricity supply is still being discussed and has not been discounted.

It is difficult to verify the accusations made by either country, including determining which country is responsible for the continual violation of ceasefires, as third party observers have been unable to access the area. The very fact that these accusations are being made means that this is a dirty war either in deeds or in words - ie in the conduct of the parties to conflict or their characterization of it.

At the very best, both sides are bereft of any bona fides in the manner in which they portray these clashes and the tactics being used by the other side and are looking to mislead audiences at home and abroad. At worst, one or both sides may be guilty of acting in violation of international humanitarian law by using tactics and weapons that cause harm to civilians or which result in damage to cultural property.

The recent application by the Cambodian government for a ruling by the International Court of Justice on the ownership of land adjoining the temple at Preah Vihear may contribute to a final resolution to the issue of ownership of the land in question. In the short term, however, the move is less likely to ease tensions between the countries than it is to stoke them.

Reports in recent days that the Thai and Cambodian governments are allowing civilians to return to border areas before a satisfactory resolution is negotiated underlines the fact that the people along the border are of less concern to both governments that the politics associated with it.

When ASEAN leaders meet in Jakarta this weekend, it is the deaths of the 29 Thai and Cambodian soldiers, the well-being of the 85,000 people displaced on either side of the border and the immediate cessation of hostilities that should be at the top of their agendas.

Whatever the specific motivations behind the conflict, it is clear that actors on both sides have placed politics before the lives and well-being of their people. It is equally clear that these hostilities are unlikely to end for as long as they remain a bilateral issue between Thailand and Cambodia.

The conduct of both countries' militaries and the mendacity of their governments can only be brought into line by the internationalization of the issue. So far international efforts, including a broken agreement to allow Indonesian observers to monitor the situation on both sides of the border, have failed to halt the hostilities. To maintain ASEAN's credibility and relevance, the grouping must take a more assertive lead in mediating the tensions before it spirals into a wider conflict and more severe humanitarian disaster.

Ou Virak is president of the Phnom Penh-based Cambodian Center for Human Rights.

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Cambodia rejects Thai demands over temple troops

Both countries, Cambodia and Thailand, have accused each other of sparking the violence (AFP/File, Tang Chhin Sothy)

Thailand and Cambodia both claim to own a 4.6 square kilometre (1.8 square mile) area around the Preah Vihear temple (AFP/File, Tang Chhin Sothy)

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By Arlina Arshad (AFP)

JAKARTA — Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Friday rejected a Thai demand to withdraw troops from an 11th-century Khmer temple at the disputed border, saying Bangkok was not sincere about peace.

"We never can withdraw our troops from our own territory. That should be very clear," Hor Namhong told reporters after a meeting in Jakarta with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

The Indonesians are trying to broker a ceasefire and the deployment of neutral military observers to the flashpoint area on the Thai-Cambodian border where some 18 people have died in fighting in recent months.

The issue is likely to be discussed at a summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders in Jakarta starting on Saturday, where plans for a more closely integrated regional community will top the agenda.

"Non-development, non-progress, lack of development, the status quo is not an option," Natalegawa said after meeting his counterparts from both countries.

"We're seeing a status quo meaning exchange of fire and artillery as we talk about ASEAN community. That's not quite right. There's something wrong if we keep on doing this," he said.

Both countries have accused each other of sparking the violence, which centres on territory around the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, the most celebrated example of ancient Khmer architecture outside Cambodia's Angkor.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6 square kilometre (1.8 square mile) surrounding area. The temple was granted UN World Heritage status in 2008.

Cambodia has previously denied it has troops stationed at Preah Vihear itself, although it has soldiers in the contested area.

The neighbours agreed in late February to allow Indonesian observers near Preah Vihear, but Thailand has been dragging its feet on their deployment as fighting continues.

"The problem is the willingness of Thailand to accept the observers or not -- that is the real problem," Hor Namhong said.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya did not speak to reporters after his talks with Natalegawa and did not meet directly with his Cambodian counterpart.

Indonesia currently holds the chair of ASEAN and has been trying to use its position to broker an end to the hostilities, which are undermining ASEAN's ambitions to create a closely integrated community by 2015.

Natalegawa said that both countries had agreed in principle to accept 15 Indonesian observers each, but outstanding issues remained to be resolved before they could be deployed.

"We're ready (to send observers) but Thailand is saying that before the deployment of observers can be made, they require the redeployment of Cambodian troops out of the temple," he said.

"This issue is not governed in the terms of reference. It's outside the terms of reference proper. This is where we are now."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a ceasefire and said the neighbours should launch "serious dialogue" to resolve the dispute, which temporarily displaced about 85,000 people.

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Indonesian observers on Thai-Cambodian border a "done deal"

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/

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May 6, 2011

Jakarta - A proposal to station 30 Indonesian observers along the contentious Thai-Cambodian border in a bid to reduce fighting between the two neighbours is a 'done deal,' Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said Friday.

But he acknowledged that more work was needed to implement the deal.

'As far as the terms of reference are concerned (on the agreement), it's a done deal,' Natalegawa said after holding separate talks with his Cambodian and Thai counterparts in Jakarta.

'What remains now is how to operationalize the assignment of the Indonesian observer teams on the ground,' Natalegawa said. 'The big issue is to create conducive conditions.'

Creating those conditions is expected to prove contentious, observers said.

Thai and Cambodian troops have been engaging in skirmishes since mid-2008 over conflicting claims to a 4.6-square-kilometre plot of land that is adjacent to the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple perched on a cliff that defines their common border.

Fighting flared up again last month near two other temples 140 kilometres west of Preah Vihear, leaving eight soldiers dead on each side.

The conflict has turned into a hot topic at this weekend's summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), held in Jakarta, capital of the group's current chair Indonesia. ASEAN now holds two summits a year.

In an effort to facilitate a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, Natalegawa in February proposed posting Indonesian observers along the border. That proposal has now been agreed to by both sides, he said.

The Thai Cabinet approved the proposal on Tuesday, but set the condition that Cambodia must withdraw its troops from Preah Vihear temple first.

'We never can withdraw our troops from our own territory. That should be very clear,' Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said in Jakarta.

Although the two countries have overlapping claims to land near Preah Vihear, the temple itself was judged to belong to Cambodian by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962.

Cambodia last week petitioned the court to clarify its 1962 ruling to determine which country has sovereignty over land near the temple.

The appeal to the ICJ could undermine the role ASEAN is attempting to play as a peace-maker in its own region, a role that Natalegawa has been pushing during the Indonesian chairmanship.

'The risk of delay is very real,' Natalegawa warned. 'As a person I have infinite patience, but as the chair of ASEAN we all need to see some progress.'

He said that the issue over troop withdrawal from Preah Vihear is an issue that might be resolved through bilateral talks between Cambodia and Thailand, which have set up two joint commissions to handle the issue.

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Cambodia FM reaffirms support for RI observers

http://www.thejakartapost.com/

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Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Fri, 05/06/2011

Friday arrival: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, left, talks with Indonesian Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring, right, upon arrival at Halim Perdanakusumah airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday. Hun Sen is in the country to attend the 18th ASEAN SUmmit that will be held on May 7-8. (AP/Irwin Fedriansyah)

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa held bilateral talks with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong on Friday, with the latter reaffirming his country’s support for the presence of the Indonesian observer team.

“What I want to mention is that Cambodia has formally accepted terms of reference for the Indonesian observer team,” Marty said after the meeting.

Marty said he also planned to meet with Thailand’s foreign minister later that afternoon.

The meetings with Cambodia’s and Thailand’s ministers were aimed at seeking a solution to the long-standing border dispute between the two countries.

The Bangkok Post reported that Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajiva had indicated he had no intention of holding talks regarding the border clashes with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Jakarta.

Condition conducive needed in Thailand-Cambodia clash reconciliation: Indonesian minister

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

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May 06, 2011

A condition conducive is needed before deployment of observer team from Indonesia to the border of Thailand and Cambodia, as a part of the efforts to solve the strife between both countries, an Indonesian minister said on Friday.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters that he has met Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister of Cambodia Hor Namhong and Foreign Minister of Thailand Kasit Piromya to find solutions of the conflict. Natalegawa said that Thailand and Cambodia have agreed terms of reference (TOR) of the observation team. "One positive thing is that the TOR of the observer team is agreed by both countries. Cambodia has officially agreed by sending a diplomatic note while Thailand agreed on principle but has not yet sent any note," said Natalegawa. In other words, he said, as far as TOR concern, it is done deal.

What remains now, he said, is how we operate the assignment of the Indonesian observer team on the ground, and key word is to create condition conducive for the assign of the Indonesian observer team. "You are aware, of course, through previous communication that Thailand has its own view about what needs to happen before such observer team is sent. Cambodia has its own view as well. Thailand has submitted a kind of condition before the deployment, which is a withdrawal of Cambodian troops from certain area," he said.

He added that in the next one or two days, the foreign ministers will sit together, trying to define what kind of condition conducive before the deployment.

On top of that, he said, both Thailand and Cambodia recognize that political process, diplomatic negotiation must continue.

"I hope that general border commission (GBC) can reconvene sooner rather than later. Because it is important to have political process kept alive and continued. The risk of delay of is very rear. We have seen in the past two weeks what has been happening in the border area between the two countries. They have exchanged artillery. Delay is not neutral. Delay is not without impact. Delay means greater risk. This is what we wish to avoid," he said.

Source: Xinhua

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Cambodia: Our troops will not leave

http://www.bangkokpost.com/

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Published: 6/05/2011 at 01:58 PM

Online news:

JAKARTA - Cambodia would not withdraw its troops from its own territory and was still waiting for Thailand's agreement on the Jakarta terms of reference (TOR) for the stationing of Indonesian observers near Preah Vihear, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong said on Friday.

He was speaking after emerging from 30-minute talks with the Asean chairman, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, at the Jakarta Convention Centre.

Mr Hor Nam Hong said the problem with the border conflict clearly remained on the willingness of Thailand to agree with the deployment of Indonesian observers under the terms of reference.

"Cambodia has already sent a letter of acceptance to Indonesia's proposed TOR on May 2, and we hope will Thailand do likewise," said the Cambodian minister.

He thanked Mr Natalegawa on his efforts to address the border conflict and looked forward to seeing the deployment of observers.

Mr Natalegawa thanked Cambodia for the formal agreement to the terma of reference which Indonesia proposed at the special foreign ministers' meeting in Jakarta, right after the meeting at the United Nations in New York.

The UN General Assembly has tasked Indonesia will helping facilitate a solution to the border conflict between the regional partners of Asean, because Jakarta is the chairman this year. Cambodia is due to take up the rotating chairmanship next year.

Thailand has lobbied for a bilateral meeting during the 18th Asean summit, however, Cambodia was not interested in either meetings between foreign ministers or prime ministers, diplomatic sources said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, in Bangkok, said before leaving for Jakarta that he has no plans to meet Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen during the Asean Summit to discuss the border dispute.

Hun Sen is also due to arrive today. Possibly, he would speak about the border dispute when the summit begins tomorrow, sources said.

Diplomatic sources said Phnom Penh was taking a beyond-Asean strategy, however, they wanted to show goodwill about possible options for a trilateral meeting on the sideline of the summit here, as a face-saver for Indonesia, which was embarrassed by the refusal of Thailand's military to attend last month's meeting in Jakarta.

Cambodia, sources said, was looking forward to the May 30-31 hearing at the International Court of Justice in the Hague on the Preah Vihear dispute.

The Asean chairman said before meeting with Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya at 12.30pm that he hoped a trilateral meeting could be held later today.

Cambodia has agreed with the three proposed locations -- Ta Sem, Chak Chreng and Pram Makara -- for the deployment of Indonesian observers on its side, while the Thai cabinet agreed on Wednesday to accept Indonesian observers on condition that there would be no foreign troops (including Cambodian troops) in the disputed territory.

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Effective mechanism needed for ASEAN to settle Cambodian, Thai border row: academics

http://english.people.com.cn/

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May 06, 2011

The credibility and prestige of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) may be downgraded if it has no effective mechanism to settle Cambodian and Thai border row, academics warned on Thursday.

Pou Sothirak, Cambodian senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, said Cambodian and Thai border row is not only damaging bilateral relations in a critical way, but also threatening regional peace and stability.

"If no effective mediation is pursued to contain it, it will undoubtedly affect the credibility and reputation of ASEAN," he said during a two-day conference on strengthening the ASEAN political-security community through preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution mechanism.

The conference brought together representatives from the Network of ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies and members of Cambodian parliament and decision makers from various Cambodian ministries.

Pou Sothirak said that the main challenges to security community are the ASEAN principles of non-interference and the norm of not putting bilateral dispute between members on the ASEAN agenda.

"The principles of non-interference and consensus are the obstacles in the realization of the security community by 2015," he said.

"ASEAN must do something right where failure would mean that the region return to the past of using force to settle disputes," he said. "This in turn will send ASEAN straight into a danger zone of losing its role as driver of the regional security architecture. "

Nem Sowath, a board member of Cambodian Institute of Cooperation and Peace, said ASEAN has played a significant role in coping with regional security issues and threat; however, it does not have appropriate and effective regional mechanism in place when it comes to territorial disputes among its member states.

"Cambodian-Thai border conflict is a case in point. It is a testing ground for ASEAN's ability to solve issues for its member states," he said.

"It is a warning signal to ASEAN to get reformed as soon as possible, otherwise ASEAN can be divided and ASEAN credibility will be downgraded." he said.

The leaders of ASEAN countries will meet on May 7-8 in the 18th summit in Jakarta, Indonesia and the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand will be included in the agenda.

"In my own opinion, ASEAN should establish a special working group or a conflict resolution mechanism in order to settle Cambodian-Thai border row," he said.

"We wish to see ASEAN to be stronger, more united and more relevant particularly in security issues in order to serve the interests of everyone."

Yeo Lay Hwee, senior research fellow of Singapore Institute of International Affairs said "frankly speaking, ASEAN has really not moved much progress towards confidence building, preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution mechanism."

Suchit Bunbongkam, president of the Council for Security Cooperation in Asia Pacific (Thailand), said the measures or conflict resolution mechanism should be established in order to settle issues for its member states and to prevent conflicts in the future.

"The principle of internal sovereignty and non-interference in ASEAN must be observed," he said. "For Cambodia and Thailand border conflict, we wish to see the issue be settled peacefully, not by armed forces."

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

The latest flare-up had occurred from April 22 until May 3 at the 13th century Ta Moan temple and Ta Krabei temple in Oddar Meanchey province, leaving 19 people on both sides killed and nearly 100,000 civilians fled homes for safe shelters.

Both sides always blamed each other for firstly triggering the attacks.

ASEAN countries consist of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Source: Xinhua

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Sourn Serey Ratha broadcasts his message on the Thai Yellow Shirt's ASTV channel. Why does he use a platform that holds hatred against Khmer?

Please find below a broadcast by Sourn Serey Ratha on the Yellow Shirt ASTV channel. In our opinion, while his message against the Hun Xen's regime sounds reasonable, his use of the Yellow Shirt's platform, a group that maintains hatred against Cambodians in general, is unreasonable and a poor decision. In the long and arduous road to democracy, the enemy of one's enemy is not necessarily one's friend.

Nevertheless, we leave it up to you to judge Mr. Sourn Serey Ratha's decision.

Thank you,

KI-Media team

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Cambodia takes dispute with Thailand to U.N. court

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, troops of Cambodian Royal Armed Forces confer at a military camp in the border disputed area in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia. File photo

http://www.thehindu.com/

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Cambodia has asked the United Nations’ highest court to order Thailand to withdraw troops and halt military activity around a temple at the centre of a decades-old border dispute that has flared into deadly military clashes.

Fighting in recent weeks along the disputed border region surrounding the Preah Vihear temple has left at least 16 people dead.

In a request filed April 28 and made available Tuesday on the court’s website, Cambodia asks International Court of Justice judges to urgently deal with its request “because of the gravity of the situation.”

Cambodia claims that according to a 1962 ruling by the court the temple on its territory.

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Time for ASEAN Peacekeeping Force

http://the-diplomat.com/

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By Fuadi Pitsuwan
May 02, 2011

The latest clash between Cambodia and Thailand has underscored the need for a regional peacekeeping force. Indonesia should push for one now.

The latest clash between Thai and Cambodian troops over a disputed area surrounding the ancient Preah Vihear temple along the two countries’ border should be a wake-up call for ASEAN.

Years of negotiations have proved ineffective in resolving the crisis as Thailand’s insistence that the issue is a bilateral one has been sharply rejected by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Hun Sen’s response has been to call for UN peacekeepers to be deployed to the area, a call that raises an interesting question—is it time for ASEAN to seriously consider a peacekeeping force?

Ad hoc ceasefire agreements reached after each clash have been too fragile and prone to being breached by both sides—every time a skirmish has broken out, each side has been quick to blame the other.

Political efforts to find a solution, meanwhile, have been complicated by the domestic politics of both countries. Hun Sen has been accused by his political opponents of exploiting the border dispute to maintain his tight grip over his country, while Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is expected to dissolve the Thai parliament in early May, is loathe to appear weak heading into an election. All this is complicated by the close relationship between Hun Sen and the de facto leader of the Thai opposition, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Indonesia, as chair of ASEAN, has played an outstanding role in trying to broker a resolution to the dispute, but it can only do so much. For example, it put proffered the suggestion of dispatching a team of Indonesian observers to monitor the disputed area to avoid further clashes. This proposal was reportedly actually agreed on by the political leaders of both sides in the dispute, but there have been suggestions that objections from the Thai military, which feels uneasy with the idea of having a third party present in the conflict zone, have meant the idea is still on hold.

The latest clash started late last month, and many observers believe it is the most serious so far. At the time of writing, the official death toll stood at 17, although this is expected to increase. A temporary, fragile ceasefire was reached between the two militaries last Thursday, but quickly broke down after only 10 hours, leaving a tense situation and the prospect of war looming over the border.

What can ASEAN do to prevent all-out conflict? It could start by pooling the resources of all member states—including Thailand and Cambodia—to establish and deploy a peacekeeping force at the first opportunity.

This wouldn’t be the first time such a force has been considered. Back in March 2004, Indonesia’s then-Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda moved to propose the establishment of a regional peacekeeping force. Indonesia’s current foreign minister, Marty Natalegawa, voiced his support back then, saying: ‘ASEAN countries should know one another better than anyone else, and therefore we should have the option for ASEAN countries to take advantage of an ASEAN peacekeeping force to be deployed if they so wish.’ However, the idea was opposed by a number of other foreign ministers, who noted ASEAN’s stated principle of non-interference in countries’ domestic affairs.

The problem with Wirajuda’s proposal at the time is that it was akin to planting a seed without soil and water—there was really no immediate benefit that ASEAN member states could see from engaging in such cooperation, meaning the environment just wasn’t right.

But with the ASEAN Charter, a legally-binding document signed in 2007, calling for ASEAN to become an economic, socio-cultural and political-security community, the time has come for the idea of an ASEAN peacekeeping force to be put back on the table.

The inaugural ASEAN Defense Ministerial Meeting, along with eight other dialogue partners (ADMM+) in October last year, has provided an excellent foundation for a bolder form of security cooperation among ASEAN member states. Indeed, the ASEAN Political and Security Blue Print, which supplements the Charter, already has language backing peacekeeping cooperation. It eyes: ‘(Establishment of) a network among existing ASEAN Member States’ peacekeeping centres to conduct joint planning, training, and sharing of experiences, with a view to establishing an ASEAN arrangement for the maintenance of peace and stability, in accordance with the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) 3-Year Work Programme.’

The African Union, which in many ways looks to ASEAN for inspiration as a successful regional bloc, has already formed the African Standby Force (ASF), to be deployed as a preventive measure aimed at averting conflict. Although still a work in process, it’s designed to consist of five brigades with 4,500 personnel, 350 vehicles and four helicopters per brigade.

The ASF has engaged in exercises with significant assistance from the EU and the United States. ASEAN member states currently have deployed 5,000 personnel worldwide as part of various UN Peacekeeping operations, yet these forces have no presence in their own backyard.

The benefits of an ASEAN peacekeeping force would go beyond resolution of the Thai-Cambodian border conflict. Any region must have its own processes and mechanisms for ensuring confidence and stability to maintain economic growth and sustainable development. ASEAN has made a remarkable transition into a formidable player in Asia and beyond, and a regional peacekeeping force would build on this progress and contribute to a greater sense that the region can take care of itself in times of crises—manmade or natural.

Of course, there’s bound to be opposition to any such development. Back in 2004, Singaporean Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar was quick to dismiss the idea, arguing that: ‘ASEAN is not a security or defence organization…Perhaps sometime in the future there may be scope for such an organization.’

Yet it should be clear that that future has now arrived, and as chair of ASEAN this year, Indonesia should again explore the possibility.

If it is to have legitimacy in the current spat, any force would clearly need to consist of an equal number of Thai and Cambodian troops, stripped of their respective national military uniforms in favour of one bearing the ASEAN flag. To ensure neutrality, an Indonesian four-star general could serve as commander. If Indonesia was somehow to make such a peacekeeping force happen, it could well be the country’s single most important contribution to the future of ASEAN during its chairmanship.

It will, of course, inevitably have to keep pushing to bring the idea to fruition and overcome opposition from some of its neighbours. But the country is the only member of ASEAN with sufficient political capital and respect to put forward a proposal for such a paradigm shift in ASEAN’s security cooperation.

The ASEAN Summit to be held this weekend in Jakarta presents a timely opportunity for Jakarta to really step up.

Fuadi Pitsuwan is an associate at The Cohen Group, a strategic advisory firm headed by former Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen and an adjunct research scholar at Georgetown University’s Asian Studies Department. The views expressed here are his own.

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Thai PM set to dissolve parliament, poll date unclear

http://news.stv.tv/

via CAAI

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Monday he wanted to dissolve parliament this week, as planned, but he declined to be drawn on an election date despite a report the vote would probably be on June 26.

The Constitutional Court threw some doubt on the timeframe for an election, that it is hoped will end years of polarized politics that has led to outbreaks of violence, by delaying a decision on the legality of new electoral laws.

02 May 2011

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva talks with Thais evacuated from their villages at a makeshift camp in Surin province, 30 km (19 miles) from the Thai-Cambodian border, April 27, 2011, following armed clashes on a disputed border area between Cambodia and Thailand. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

The poll will be his first test of support after his coalition government came to power in late 2008 in a parliamentary vote the opposition said was arranged by the military, which intensified a political crisis.

Pressed by reporters, Abhisit said parliament would be dissolved before May 7, when he is scheduled to join a summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Indonesia. He has been saying since March that he would dissolve the house by the first week of May.

Asked about talk that he would submit the dissolution bill on May 4 for royal endorsement, he replied: "When it comes, you'll know about it."

"However, we have to wait for the process with the Constitutional Court to be done and there are other administrative processes to finish."

The Constitutional Court said in a statement it had given the prime minister, the speaker of parliament and the Electoral Commission until Friday, May 6, to present more opinions, and it did not comment on the legality of the laws.

That throws some doubt on whether parliament will in fact be dissolved this week.

A source at the court said it may rule on May 9.

An election has to be held on a Sunday, 45 to 60 days after parliament is dissolved. If the king approves dissolution this week, the vote could be on June 19, June 26 or July 3. Those dates would still hold if dissolution was only delayed a few days.

The Bangkok Post reported on Monday that Abhisit recently met the Election Commission. "It was tentatively agreed that the election will be on June 26," the daily said.

The stakes in the coming election are higher than at any time since a bloodless 2006 coup removed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from power.

That plunged Thailand deeper into political crisis broadly pitting Thaksin and his many rural and urban poor supporters against the establishment elite, and those who view the former leader as a corrupt autocrat.

Abhisit has to call an election by the end of 2011 so a poll in June or July would be a few months earlier than necessary.

It could be an opportunity to heal political divisions but some analysts fear it could push Thailand back to the brink of chaos after violent protests last year in which 91 people died.

(Reporting by Khettiya Jittapong and Chatrudee Kittisuksatit; Writing by Ambika Ahuja and Alan Raybould; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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Cambodia denies leaving 2 dead soldiers in the field

Excerpt translated by KI-Media

In response to an earlier report published by the Bangkok Post, the RCAF issued the following denial:

The RCAF rejects poisonous information published by Thai public news media which falsely claimed that there are 2 remains abandoned in the battle field. These are information and pictures made up entirely for political gain. RCAF's soldiers who are injured or who sacrificed their lives are always immediately saved and [for those who died,] traditional religious ceremonies are organized for them - this is the utmost honor for the Cambodian people. Up to now, there are no Thai flags flying over Ta Moan temple or over Ta Krabei temple.

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