EVERYTHING POINTS OUT TO THE WELL THOUGHT RECOMMENDATION OF THE UNSC

OPINION
21 February 2011

The whole week, following the UNSC meeting on 14 February 2011, Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Pyromya intensified their campaign against the urge of the members of the UNSC to establish a permanent ceasefire. They defy the UNSC by launching their totally opposing view that “the ceasefire is unnecessary”. Their only explanation was that existing bilateral mechanisms will bring the resolution to the conflict, which is completely irrelevant to the recommendation of the UNSC that took note that (i) a war broke out between Cambodia and Thailand, (ii) there are losses of lives and extensive damages to the properties, (iii) ten of thousands of people are misplaced and they face insecurity and uncertainty everyday and those calamities must be stopped.

The reality is that a permanent ceasefire is necessary for the following reasons:

1- Thai Armed Forces launched unprovoked attacks against Cambodia (i) on 18 July 2008 and occupied Cambodian territory in the vicinity of the Temple of Preah Vihear, (ii) on 15 October 2008 in the areas of Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda, Phnom Trap and Veal Intry, deep inside Cambodian territory, (iii) on 3 April 2009 burning the entire Cambodian market-village and leaving 319 families destitute of their livelihood and belongings, (iv) on 4 to 7 February 2011 in a real war of aggression, killing civilians, damaging properties and displacing thousands of people.

2- Thailand continues to deploy more than 23,000 troops along with heavy weaponry in the area facing the Temple of Preah Vihear and its vicinity and flying war planes close to the frontier line, which constitute act of provocation and an apparent preparation for aggression.

3- Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating Thailand’s sovereignty. Actually Thai troops attacked Cambodia four times already since July 2008. The accusations and counter-accusations between Cambodian and Thailand require not only the establishment of a ceasefire, but also its full implementation to avoid the war of words and unpredictable flare-ups.

4- Thailand confuses the international public opinion with different existing bilateral mechanisms, the General Border Committee (GBC), the Regional Border Committee (RBC) and the Joint Border Committee (JBC). Only the JBC is involved in the boundary demarcation. Thailand’s delay and stalling tactics require an appropriate measure taken by the Royal Government of Cambodia that is NO MORE JBC meeting. Since 2008 three negotiations agreement between Cambodian and Thai JBC members have not yet been approved and adopted by Thai parliament. Thailand creates “internal legal and parliamentary unnecessary procedures” to stall the JBC.

5- The European Parliament has strongly condemned “the border clashed between Cambodia and Thailand,” welcomed the efforts undertaken by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, as ASEAN chair, to facilitate dialogue between the two countries so that the dispute can be resolved in a peaceful manner, at the 22 February meeting of ASEAN foreign Ministers, concurrent to the UNSC that is quite confident that the Foreign Minister of Indonesia, Marty Natalegwa, Chairman of ASEAN would be loyal to his statement made in New York saying that “obviously, this is a matter that will have to be resolved in final analysis bilaterally between the two sides but it does not mean there is not a space and a role for regional countries to play.”

Everything military, politically and internationally points out to the well thought recommendation of the UNSC that urges the parties to establish a permanent ceasefire and to implement it fully.

Prof. Pen Ngoeun

Senior advisor and member of the Academic Committee

Puthisastra University, Phnom Penh, Cambodia,

Former Dean and Professor of the Faculty of Business and Economics

Pannasastra University of Cambodia,

Former Assistant Controller at Phibro Inc.,

A subsidiary of Citigroup Inc., New York City, USA, until 2000