27 March 2009: The border dispute with Cambodia has for months been used in Thailand’s internal politics.
(Photo: The Preah Vihear temple, center of a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. 7 November 2008. By Isabelle Roughol)
By Isabelle Roughol
While officials on both sides insist that tension that rose Wednesday around the Preah Vihear temple has eased up, the incident left an impression of déjà-vu: as opposition to the government mounts in Bangkok, so does the pressure at the border.
The 4.6 square kilometers of disputed land near the Preah Vihear temple had been quiet for weeks when, according to Cambodian officials, about 100 fully armed Thai soldiers crossed there Wednesday afternoon and were met by Cambodian soldiers. Negotiations ensued and the Thai soldiers pulled back a few hours later.
Meanwhile in Bangkok on Thursday, thousands of “red shirt” opposition supporters marched to Government House aiming to oust the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and his Foreign Affairs Minister, Kasit Piromya.
The tables were turned late last year: with the yellow-shirted People’s Alliance for Democracy, Kasit was once of those stirring nationalistic sentiment, accusing the government of giving up the temple. Later, his appointment as the fourth foreign minister to handle the 10-month border dispute was criticized, as opponents thought he had been too cavalier in criticizing Cambodia.
Now, apparently unable to please either way, he stands accused of being too lenient on Cambodia, for not stopping the construction of a Cambodian road to the temple, that red-shirts say took away 250 meters of Thai territory. He withstood a censure motion in Parliament last week, but only by the narrowest margin of any government minister.
Cambodian officials, irritated by the slowness of negotiations, have on several occasions blamed it on the interference of Thai domestic politics. And Thai observers aren’t fooled either: an editorial in The Nation newspaper on Thursday called on the “red shirts” not to use the same methods that had been used against them.
“[They] should not repeat this mistake because it would not bring any good to the country, only problems and trouble,” the article read.
The Thai-Cambodian Joint Border Commission is scheduled to again discuss the boundary demarcation on April 6 and 7 in Phnom Penh. Such negotiations have too coincided in the past with rhetorical escalations and agitation of troops.
The message coming Thursday from the Thai military, through deputy spokesman Colonel Werachon Sukondhapatipak, was one of reassurance.
“We have a policy that we do not do anything that could be perceived as provocative,” he said by telephone from Bangkok. “We want to avoid any misunderstanding.”
“If this is the case, that there is a movement [of troops at Preah Vihear], then it is only a rotation. There is no order to increase troop numbers at the border,” he added.
Thani Thongpakdi, deputy spokesman of the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry, said the troops had been moving within the borders of Thailand. Because the area has yet to be demarcated, both countries occasionally accuse each other of encroaching. Thani also said the reported figure of 100 soldiers was exaggerated.
At the temple, Preah Vihear Authority secretary-general Hang Soth said villagers had moved to the temple for fear of the Thai troops.
“They moved to a safe place because they were afraid an incident might occur at any time,” he said.
(Additional reporting by Eang Mengleng)
