Vietnam and Thailand, the thieves...

News of Cambodia N° 0832

PREAH VIHEAR,
Vietnam and Thailand are the Real Thieves to Swallow Cambodian Territory.

Khemara Jati
Montreal, Quebec
July 20th, 2008

In July 1997, from Saigon where he escapes, Hun Sen decides to launch military coup d'etat to eliminate Funcinpec's army. It is regular units of the Popular Army of Vietnam (PAV) that intervene directly and massively in Cambodia. The UN does not recognize the new marionette regime. Hanoi believes, once again, of being totally a master of Cambodia like in January 1979. Then, on August 11th, Hanoi signs with Bangkok a treaty dividing half of our continental shelf. By this treaty Cambodia has no more maritime border. There would be a maritime border between our two neighbors! So boats using our Kompong Som's port should cross either Vietnamese waters or Thai waters. But this treaty is illegal, because signed between the two neighbors while Cambodia had no power recognized by the UN.

Finally the defeat of the best units of shock of the PAV at O Smach front obliged Hanoi to agree in organizing the July 1998 elections followed by new massacres at the end of August and the beginning of September 1998 that we all known. It shows clearly that Hanoi has no more means to impose the regime which it was able to establish in January 1979.

One day Cambodians will raise a monument at O Smach to honor the memory of the heroes who died to save Cambodia by defeating the best units of shock of the PAV. And another monument at Phnom Penh with a big square dedicated to the glory of the fighters at O Smach.

Because of this illegal treaty of August 1997, Bangkok decrees that the petroleum and gas found under our continental shelf would be in a “controversial zone” and require sharing receipts. Is it methods of organized crime, is not it?

Bangkok uses always the same principle: « what is mine is mine, what belongs to you or we share it or I take it ». Is not it an application of the jungle law in the international relations? Who can accept it?

Now, Bangkok declares one-sidedly that it does not recognize any more treaties between France and Siam of 1904 and 1907, and also the decisions of the International Court of Justice of The Hague in 1962 concerning Preah Vihear. What the Major Powers, the UNO and the ASEAN, think about it? Do they accept that the world is governs by the jungle law? What will become the ASEAN then with Thailand as founder members?

Will not this disregard of the international law cause the dangerous precedent for the future of the relations between nations?

The Cambodian people are not afraid of Thai threats at all. Even the current regime in Phnom Penh has no business to give up to the one-sided decisions of Bangkok. Any kind of abdication of the national fundamental interests of Cambodia is treason to the Cambodian nation, disaster consequences for our future generations. On the other hand Bangkok has no support of the Thai people as shows fights between Thai in the Preah Vihear neighborhood. The international community has a duty and role to oblige Thailand to respect scrupulously the international treaties between France and Siam of 1904 and 1907 and decisions of the International Court of Justice of The Hague in 1962. The Cambodian people have a long tradition of heroic fight to defend her country.

In sum, the current battle for Preah Vihear has come to reveal our key points as well as our weak points. The current battle for our sovereign power on Preah Vihear and its neighborhood according to the decision of the International Court of the Hague of 1962, as well as for the strict application of the international treaties of 1904 and 1907 concerning our borders with Thailand, is a mattering ranging-pole to strengthen our national cohesion in front of our neighbor's greediness. The appeal to boycott Thai products and Thai services is a way of calling back the importance of the economic fight. In fact, Cambodians consume above all national products and seek national services. It is also a mattering step to contribute to the development of our national economy.

Khemara Jati is going to set up for readers who wish to have access to the thesis writing by Sarin Chhak on our borders with Thailand on the site chosen for that purpose.