Has PAD lost its conscience?

9 Feb, 2011
Source: Bangkok Post

The People's Alliance for Democracy must stop spouting flammatory remarks on the already smouldering situation at the Thai-Cambodian border. Over the past few days the yellow-shirted PAD's pronouncements have served no purpose but to make a bad situation worse.

Since launching its rally on Jan 25, the PAD has not been successful in forcing the government to bow to its demands. The yellow shirts have threatened to bring down Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his cabinet unless the government helps free two members of its ultra-nationalist wing, the Thai Patriots Network, who are at present incarcerated in Cambodia after the court in Phnom Penh declared Veera Somkhwamkid and Ratree Pipatanapaiboon guilty of illegal entry, trespass into a military zone and espionage. The PAD has also demanded that all Cambodians be moved out of the disputed border area near the ancient temple, and that the memorandum of understanding on demarcation entered into by both countries in 2000 be revoked.

If the demands are not met by Friday, the PAD says it will attempt to occupy Government House. Thus far Mr Abhisit has stood firm on the government's position that the PAD's demands are impractical and unacceptable: acceding to them would only exacerbate the fragile relations between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

After the renewed border clashes near Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket last Friday, key PAD figures have intentionally used the situation for their own interests. Prominent PAD mouthpiece Sondhi Limthongkul wants the government to "parade Thai troops" opposite Cambodia's Siem Reap and Battambang provinces, and employ gunship diplomacy by sending battleships to block sea lanes around Cambodia. That would force Phnom Penh to negotiate with Thailand to put an end to the border conflict, Mr Sondhi said. The yellow shirts would also send its members to the border area in Si Sa Ket to "boost" military morale.

The PAD's remarks could very well cheer up its members who have converged on Ratchadamnoen Avenue and stir nationalist feeling amid mounting tensions with Cambodia. But to what benefit?

In fact, the PAD's message only serves to further poison the atmosphere between the two countries. The two governments are trying to find a common channel to solve the border standoff. Thailand wants the issue resolved via talks between Thailand and Cambodia, but Phnom Penh wants the United Nations to step in and mediate the conflict.

The only good sign so far is that there have been no further exchanges of artillery fire since Sunday, though peace has not returned to the border areas, with villagers on both sides of the border living in fear as reinforcements of Thai and Cambodian troops signal no return of normalcy in the days and perhaps weeks to come.

It would therefore be best for all concerned if the PAD were to desist from its taunting and fiery rhetoric. Yes, the two neighbours hold different views on how the border issue should be resolved, but calmness and quiet at the border, however temporary, should give leaders pause to reconsider any possible common ground for the two sides to end the military standoff and allow people living along the border to go about their livelihood in peace.The UN and even Asean, of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, have already expressed concern about the fighting and made it clear that this conflict should not be allowed to escalate. The PAD's leaders have no one to blame but themselves for provocative remarks that serve no good.