ID :
13051
Sat, 07/19/2008 - 10:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/13051
The shortlink copeid
Thai Prime Minister Samak 'Note' sent to Khmer Prime Minister Hun Sen
BANGKOK, July 19 (TNA) - Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
invited Cambodian Ambassador Ung Sean to receive a letter from Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in response to the Khmer premier's July 17 diplomatic 'Note'.
On Friday (July 18), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited Mr. Ung Sean
to receive Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's letter to Premier Hun
Sen in reply to his July 17 Note.
Mr. Samak reaffirmed the Royal Thai Government's resolve to seek a just
and peaceful solution to the situation in the area immediately adjacent to
the Temple of Preah Vihear.
The Thai premier said he has instructed the Supreme Commander of the Royal
Thai Armed Forces to lead Thai delegates to Monday's session of the
Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) in Sa Kaeo Province to
discuss issues surrounding the situation with the Cambodian side in a
spirit of friendship and cooperation.
Mr. Samak affirmed that the two countries should use every means to
prevent escalation of the situation.
The Thai prime minister emphasised that the area of Keo Sikha Kiri Svara
Pagoda mentioned in the Cambodian Prime Minister's Note is within Thai
territory, and that the establishment of a Khmer community, including
building a temple and homes, as
well as stationing Cambodian military personnel in the area constitute a
continued violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Royal Thai Government has issued four written protests toCambodia
regarding this matter in 2004, 2005, 2007 and April 2008 respectively.
Meanwhile, the deployment by Cambodia of more than 1,000 troops, in
addition to around 200 troops stationed there earlier, has caused the
situation to deteriorate.
The Thai Prime Minister called on both sides to exercise restraint and
hopes that the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission will accelerate
its work to survey and demarcate the entire stretch of the Thai-Cambodian
border so that similar problems would not arise in the future. In
addition, pending completion of the JBC's work in this area, the Thai side
is ready to jointly explore with Cambodia possible interim measures.
Later on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited the remaining
eight ASEAN ambassadors to the ministry inform them of the situation and
present copies of the July 17 Note to Thailand and Cambodia's ASEAN
neighbours, the July 18 Note from Prime Minister Samak to his Cambodian
counterpart, including attached copies of the four aide-memoires which
Thailand had earlier sent to protest Cambodian actions, as well as copies
of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Thailand and Cambodia on
the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary dated June 4, 2000.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also circulated all of the said
documents to other foreign missions in Bangkok.
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the four protests by
Thailand to Cambodia were made on the basis of Article 5 of the 2000 MOU,
under which both sides agreed not to carry out any work resulting in
changes of environment of the frontier zone, pending the survey and
demarcation of the common land boundary.
However, to date, no action whatsoever has been undertaken by Cambodia to
address Thailand's concerns, protests and requests.
The four Thai protests were made on Nov. 25, 2004 protesting expansion of
the Cambodian community and building Cambodian government offices in the
area; on March 8, 2005 to protest against Cambodian construction and road
improvements from Komui Village, Chom Ksan District, Preah Vihear
Province, to Preah Vihear temple; on May 17, 2007 to object to Cambodia's
nomination for Preah Vihear temple to be inscribed on the World Heritage
List and to Cambodia's "Décret Royal on Délimitation du site protégé du
temple de Preah Vihear," which encroached into Thai territory.
On April 10 this year Thailand reiterated all three preceding protests and
requested Cambodia's immediate withdrawal of its military and police
forces stationed in the areas under overlapping territorial claims between
Thailand and Cambodia.
The overall situation at Preah Vihear at present remains stable. (TNA)
invited Cambodian Ambassador Ung Sean to receive a letter from Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in response to the Khmer premier's July 17 diplomatic 'Note'.
On Friday (July 18), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited Mr. Ung Sean
to receive Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's letter to Premier Hun
Sen in reply to his July 17 Note.
Mr. Samak reaffirmed the Royal Thai Government's resolve to seek a just
and peaceful solution to the situation in the area immediately adjacent to
the Temple of Preah Vihear.
The Thai premier said he has instructed the Supreme Commander of the Royal
Thai Armed Forces to lead Thai delegates to Monday's session of the
Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) in Sa Kaeo Province to
discuss issues surrounding the situation with the Cambodian side in a
spirit of friendship and cooperation.
Mr. Samak affirmed that the two countries should use every means to
prevent escalation of the situation.
The Thai prime minister emphasised that the area of Keo Sikha Kiri Svara
Pagoda mentioned in the Cambodian Prime Minister's Note is within Thai
territory, and that the establishment of a Khmer community, including
building a temple and homes, as
well as stationing Cambodian military personnel in the area constitute a
continued violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Royal Thai Government has issued four written protests toCambodia
regarding this matter in 2004, 2005, 2007 and April 2008 respectively.
Meanwhile, the deployment by Cambodia of more than 1,000 troops, in
addition to around 200 troops stationed there earlier, has caused the
situation to deteriorate.
The Thai Prime Minister called on both sides to exercise restraint and
hopes that the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission will accelerate
its work to survey and demarcate the entire stretch of the Thai-Cambodian
border so that similar problems would not arise in the future. In
addition, pending completion of the JBC's work in this area, the Thai side
is ready to jointly explore with Cambodia possible interim measures.
Later on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited the remaining
eight ASEAN ambassadors to the ministry inform them of the situation and
present copies of the July 17 Note to Thailand and Cambodia's ASEAN
neighbours, the July 18 Note from Prime Minister Samak to his Cambodian
counterpart, including attached copies of the four aide-memoires which
Thailand had earlier sent to protest Cambodian actions, as well as copies
of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Thailand and Cambodia on
the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary dated June 4, 2000.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also circulated all of the said
documents to other foreign missions in Bangkok.
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the four protests by
Thailand to Cambodia were made on the basis of Article 5 of the 2000 MOU,
under which both sides agreed not to carry out any work resulting in
changes of environment of the frontier zone, pending the survey and
demarcation of the common land boundary.
However, to date, no action whatsoever has been undertaken by Cambodia to
address Thailand's concerns, protests and requests.
The four Thai protests were made on Nov. 25, 2004 protesting expansion of
the Cambodian community and building Cambodian government offices in the
area; on March 8, 2005 to protest against Cambodian construction and road
improvements from Komui Village, Chom Ksan District, Preah Vihear
Province, to Preah Vihear temple; on May 17, 2007 to object to Cambodia's
nomination for Preah Vihear temple to be inscribed on the World Heritage
List and to Cambodia's "Décret Royal on Délimitation du site protégé du
temple de Preah Vihear," which encroached into Thai territory.
On April 10 this year Thailand reiterated all three preceding protests and
requested Cambodia's immediate withdrawal of its military and police
forces stationed in the areas under overlapping territorial claims between
Thailand and Cambodia.
The overall situation at Preah Vihear at present remains stable. (TNA)
