Parties trade barbs over Preah Vihear

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Parties trade barbs over Preah Vihear

Surapong denies giving up Preah Vihear fight

Published: 5 Jan 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

BANGKOK - The opposition Democrat Party has accused the Pheu Thai-led government of being subservient to Cambodia in the Preah Vihear Temple dispute.

Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut on Saturday expressed concern over statements by Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul about the case.

Mr Surapong has cautioned people to be prepared for any outcome, including a loss, when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) makes its decision in October.

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canuck
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Discussion 34 : 06 Jan 2013 at 22.1634
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The PAD and Dems have no respect for international law or Thai law. They are war mongers.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 33 : 05 Jan 2013 at 20.5133
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"We have had how many decades to protest the demarcation and didnt?" The ICJ said it would only consider "new evidence". But everything had already been presented. Read Sir Percy Spender's dissent for a good summary of the evidence. But as I have posted before, Thailand agreed to accept the decision. That's it. It now belongs to Cambodia. Accept that.
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felixqui
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Discussion 32 : 05 Jan 2013 at 20.1732
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Had the extremist PADsters (People Against Democracy) not gone in and deliberately blown the issue out of all merit to suit their political schemes, everything could have carried on peacefully as it had been.

But intent on foisting their ideological ailments on the entire Thai nation, the PADsters had to stir and stir until they got the violent reaction that they so love.

And they call themselves patriots? I don't think so.
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peterl
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Discussion 31 : 05 Jan 2013 at 18.4231
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The Democrat Party is trying to stir things up again, so what's new? Preah Vihear comprises the ruins of an old Khmer temple, the access route passes through Thai territory. Do not those two simple facts alone point the way towards an obvious common sense, pragmatic solution comprising concessions on both sides for their mutual benefit?
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sirron
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Discussion 30 : 05 Jan 2013 at 17.5230
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Khun Bucktui D25, You are right about there being many Khmer temples in Surin and occassionally the Thai and Cambodian armies fight over control of the ones along the border. The last military clashes were during the previous Democratic regime when the main battle was for control of Preah Vihear, which is in Sisaket Province. You are also right about the people from Surin and also Sisaket still speaking Khmer. My wife and I do so sometime because "mo pi Surin," and get along with both sides and visit the temples like neighbors. The problems are with the "powers to be" (politicians) not ordinary people living in the area.Forget the past.
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tomo
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Discussion 29 : 05 Jan 2013 at 17.2729
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Onething is for sure is the way Abhisit and Kaset tried to intervene when they where in office was ugly and in the end they where to embarassed to go to Cambodia and sit down and talk.If the decision goes to Cambodia then Thailand must respect the outcome.
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bikeme
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Discussion 28 : 05 Jan 2013 at 17.2428
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D24, D25, etc - The fact that the temple was built by the ancient Khmer, has no bearing on what is Cambodia today. Land and kingdom borders constantly change through time, sometimes controlled by Khmer, sometimes by Thai, perhaps even the Burmese. You can't go back in time and pick an arbitrary point and claim that IS the true occupant. The UNESCO should seize control and force a shared historical park, with neither owning it.
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watchdog
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Discussion 27 : 05 Jan 2013 at 17.2027
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The government is right in issuing this warning. Thailand already has an appalling bad reputation when it comes to honoring international obligations, and a failure to honor an ICJ judgment will make matters far worse for Thailand. Because Thailand cannot now argue the original decision was wrong, it is in a very weak position. This is why the government is trying to prepare the public for a bad result. The PAD and the Democrats should have never politicized this matter and baited Cambodia into bringing an ICJ action. They were playing with fire, and now all of Thailand will suffer the consequences.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 26 : 05 Jan 2013 at 17.1926
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"Evidences from the artifact and the art from the temple is clearly showed that the whole Surin Province is belong to Khmer and people in this province are still talking Khmer." 47% of the people in Surin can speak Khmer, all of whom are bilingual (and most trilingual).
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bucktoui
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Discussion 25 : 05 Jan 2013 at 16.5425
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Evidences from the artifact and the art from the temple is clearly showed that the whole Surin Province is belong to Khmer and people in this province are still talking Khmer. I don't understand why we are fighting instead of go fight Jon South that are terrorizing teachers and children. Or it is time to return whole provinces that Thailand took during Thonbury Dynasty and early Rattana Kosinh that included Lao Isane provinces and four Southern provinces.
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