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Posted by admin on Feb-3-2009
4/02/20
By THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
Bangkok Post
Negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia over Preah Vihear have stumbled over the spelling of the name of the famed ancient temple.
A Thai official said yesterday officials of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission were trying to find a way around the problem so border negotiations could proceed.
Vasin Teeravechyan, who chairs the commission, said a solution acceptable to the two countries would be found.
Thailand insists on using “the Temple of Phra Viharn-Preah Vihear” on documents used in the negotiations. Cambodian officials strongly object, saying Preah Vihear is internationally accepted.
Mr Vasin, who is a retired Foreign Ministry official, said the name proposed by Thailand was very common in international negotiations on the issue.
The Temple of Phra Viharn-Preah Vihear has been approved by parliament for the framework negotiations with Cambodia. Thailand will use it in documents to be signed with Cambodia.
The meeting will be concluded today.
The two countries have been unable to settle on a plan to reduce troops in the disputed area which covers 4.6 square kilometres between Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket and the Cambodian province of Preah Vihear.
Mr Vasin refused further comment on the issue. But earlier he said Cambodia had told the meeting it had no soldiers stationed in the area.
The Cambodia delegation is led by Senior Minister Var Kim Hong.
Despite the disagreement over the name of the temple, the two countries will set up another team to survey the borderline for demarcation between Nam Yuen district in Ubon Ratchathani and Phu Sing district in Si Sa Ket, which is 195km long.
Thailand and Cambodia have already formed a survey team to study the disputed area near the ancient temple which was the scene of a military clash last year.
A plan to reduce the number of soldiers near the disputed area is expected to be included in talks when Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan visits Phnom Penh on Friday.
Archive for January, 2009
Jan
29
Posted by admin
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Written by Thet Sambath
The Phnom Penh Post
Soldiers at Preah Vihear say standoff continues in spite of dialogue between Cambodia and Thailand.
DESPITE continued dialogue Monday between Cambodia and Thailand’s foreign ministers in Phnom Penh, commanders on the border say the military standoff there – now in its seventh month – continues to drag on.
“Nothing has changed,” Srey Doek, commander of Military Division 3, said Tuesday. “Our soldiers are standing in the same place as before.”
Tensions along the border were further complicated on Monday when a Thai solider was severely injured in a land mine accident around 200 metres from the Cambodian front lines, Neak Vong, deputy commander of Brigade 42, told the Post.
The injury prompted Thai soldiers to shoot into the air in a bid to signal to superiors what had happened. Cambodian soldiers, unaware of the accident, went on red alert after hearing the shots, Neak Vong said.
He added that Thai soldiers had been on patrol when the incident happened.
“There are many mines in this area because it was a battlefield in the 1980s and 1990s. We know, and Thai soldiers also know, the area is full of mines, but they still violate [our territory on their patrols],” Neak Vong said.
He said that five soldiers in civilian uniforms from each side continue to standoff at the contested Ta Moan Thom temple in Oddar Meanchey province.
Troubles began on the border in July when Unesco listed the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.
Soldiers on both sides were killed and wounded when firefights broke out in October, but since then fighting has stopped, with both sides saying they are committed to dialogue in a bid to reduce the military buildup along the border.
Jan
28
Posted by admin
everyday.com.kh
26th January, 2009
Translated by Khmerization
Mr. Kheng Someth, chairman of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Engineering Unit, said that the second phase of road construction to Preah Vihear temple has been 80% completed. The 20% works will be completed in the next few days.
Mr. Kheng Someth has been briefing Gen. Kun Kim, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, who visited the construction site recently.
Mr. Someth said that the old road, which was constructed by the ex-Phnom Penh Governor, Mr. Chea Sophara in 2003, covered more than 8,000 square metres.
Mr. Someth added that, according to the plans for phase one and phase two of construction, the works, which used funds from the Bayon TV Foundation, will cost more than 1.5 million US dollars.
However, Mr. Pa Socheatvong, Deputy Governor of Phnom Penh, who has recently visited the construction site, said that after phase one and phase two have been completed, phases 3 and 4 will begin. Phases 3 and 4 will involve the building of pipe systems, the erection of signs and guard rails along the bent section of the road.
Jan
16
Posted by admin
HANOI, Jan 16 (VNA) – Laos and Cambodia have signed a memorandum of understanding on connecting optical fiber cable, said NAM news network.
The two governments have agreed to assign the Enterprise of Telecommunications Lao (ETL) and Telecommunication Company (TC) of Cambodia to carry out the linking fiber optic cable along Laos and Cambodia border via the Nong Nonkhien international checkpoint.
The installation of fiber optic cable is expected to be completed mid-this year, the news network said.
The cooperation is to be made within the framework of Global System for Mobile Communications Project of the Six Great Mekong Sub-Region Countries, which was signed in 2004 and 2005 in Kunming, China, aimed at linking telecommunication system and fast exchanges information in the Great Mekong Sub-Region.
Admin: When I was in Cambodia visiting the wife family, I’ve read about Cambodia’s dilemma. In one of the poorest country in the world, it has one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive internet connection cost on the planet (frome hundreds to thousands of dollars a month). That is just insane. As a result, even upper middle class families can not afford a decent speed on the Internet. In fact, they don’t even bother buying a computer, an essential tool for any country entering the 21st century. Children without a computer or illiterate in computer usage lacks the most fundamental learning tool in a modern, progressive society.
I remember reading where China was furious about this, since they wanted a connected Cambodia to access it’s growing internet presence. They wanted to connect Chinese line directly to Cambodia, so that it will not only be faster and much, much cheaper. I hope they keep their words.
Jan
09
Posted by admin
Reaksmey Kampuchea newspaper
8th January, 2009
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization
The 7-storey Jupiter Cruise liner (pictured) with 450 passengers had docked at a Bangkok Seaport on 25th December, 2008 at 10:30am with the hopes that the passengers will be able to celebrate Christmas in the land of Thailand. On the cruise ship there were 269 Cambodian passengers but it was the worst nightmare for them that the Thai authority did not allow them to leave the ship and sent them packing back to Cambodia.
On the 4th of December, Jupiter Cruise, as part of its first launch, has left Phu Quoc (Koh Tral) island in Nha Trang province for Kompong Som in Cambodia to go to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket in Thailand. This is a free cruise and according to Mr. Benson Samay, defence attorney for the cruise, on the cruise ship there were 269 Cambodian passengers, among them there were 27 Cambodian passengers who hold diplomatic and government official passports, 22 Cambodians who hold foreign passports and 215 Cambodians who hold ordinary passports with Thai visas stamped on them.
In a letter to Mr. Chheang Vun, Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, sent on 6th January, 2009, Mr. Benson Samay said that, according to an English captain of the Jupiter Cruise, the Thai authority did not allow the Cambodian passengers to enter into Thailand by using an excuse that “there might be some Khmer Rouge disguising among the passengers who can create insecurity in their country (Thailand).” The letter added that the Thai authority will only allow the Cambodian passengers to enter Thailand “on the condition that those Cambodian passengers agreed to pay $1500 each person in security bond and the bond money can only be withdrawn after 3 months time.”
Mr. Chheang Vun has told Reaksmey Kampuchea newspaper that he has sent the letter to Mr. Long Visalo, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to summon the Thai officials to explain the incident.
Mr. Chheang Vun added: “if this information is true, it is a regrettable incident”, by adding that he was not aware whether the cruise ship has sufficient documents to enter Thailand or not, Mr. Chheang Vun said that Cambodia and Thailand have a visa agreement, and among the 269 passengers, only 5 passengers who did not have the Thai visas. Mr. Chheang Vun said that according to Mr. Benson Samay, those 5 passengers did not wish to leave the cruise ship to enter the Thai territories. By saying this, Mr. Chheang Vun wanted to stress that there is no reason for the Thai authority to bar the 269 Cambodian passengers from entering Thai territories.
Mr. Benson Samay added that the Thai authority allowed the Vietnamese passengers to disembark the cruise ship to enter Thai territories by transporting the 24 Vietnamese passengers by boat to Bangkok. The Cambodian were not allowed to enter Thailand unless they agreed to pay the $1500 security bond as requested.
Under international regulations, regulated by the International Maritime Organisation (OMI), the regulations for any ships to dock at any international seaports are not linked to the passengers on board of the ships. This means that as long as the passengers on the ship have appropriate visas agreed between the two countries, they must be allowed to enter the country they intended to visit. On the contrary, if the passengers have no proper documentations, when the ship has already docked at any international ports, those passengers can remain on the ship legally because that ship is considered as “a country” as well.
Two days ago an official from the Thai Foreign Ministry told the Thai media that he did not know of the incident and that same official has assured that Thailand will launch an investigation if there is a detailed diplomatic protest from Cambodia.
Jan
02
Posted by admin
I know it is a bit late, but I had to attend parties and visit relative all over the place. So here it is, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
It is traditional for most people to have a “new year resolution” for every new year. Mine is to stay healthy, keep busy, and to always appreciate the love of my wife and my entire extended family from America to Cambodia.
I also wish for peace and prosperity in Cambodia and in our confusing neighbor, Thailand.
Jan
02
Posted by admin
Radio Free Asia
By Mom Sophon
1st January, 2009
Translated from Khmer by Khmerization
Mr. Kem Sokha (pictured), president of the Human Right Party, has told Radio Free Asia on the 1st of January, 2009 by accusing the military leadership in Preah Vihear of discrimination by not allowing him to distribute aid to the soldiers based in the areas.
Mr. Kem Sokha said that his aides went to ask permission before going there but was told by Gen. Srey Doek, commander of Intervention Force of division 12 based in Preah Vihear, that he cannot allow Mr. Kem Sokha to distribute aid in the Preah Vihear areas by using the pretext that he cannot guarantee the safety for Mr. Kem Sokha.
Mr. Kem Sokha said: “I really regret this because I am a Khmer too and that our Khmer army chose not to allow me to go there. I go there in my capacity as a member of parliament, on my legitimate mission, but the military leader of our army said that he cannot guarantee my safety for me to visit our soldiers. This shows that he is incompetent, even to guarantee the security of a member of parliament. And I went there not for political reasons. I went there in my capacity as a member of parliament and I got a permission from the president of the National Assembly.”
There is no reaction from Gen. Srey Doek to these allegations yet.
Mr. Kem Sokha said that, his aims of going there is to visit the Khmer villagers and soldiers based there and to bring donations from Khmers living in the United States who sent their donations through him.
He said that the donations include some medicines, balms and food, like canned fish, dried fish and condensed milk, plus $US5,000 in cash.