Thailand: both sides must pull out troops

After an emergency session late on Tuesday, the Cabinet approved a Foreign Ministry proposal that both Thai and Cambodian troops be withdrawn from all disputed border areas, provided Cambodia agrees to comply in writing.

The plan was to be a precondition for the involvement of Indonesian observers coming to Thailand to deal further with the bilateral dispute over the area around the Preah Vihear Temple.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan - who opposes any decision on the Preah Vihear issue or any demarcation dispute without total withdrawal of Cambodian troops - said a written statement from Cambodia was a must before any progress on the issues could be made.

"Equally important is that we have never seen any written statement from Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa guaranteeing Cambodia would agree to withdraw its troops. Hence we need a written statement from Cambodia before we go ahead with any issues," he added.

The Cabinet also officially appointed a team of lawyers, including a French advocate, to handle any legal actions when the case is brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday defended the inclusion of the French lawyer in the legal team, saying it was his ability, not his nationality, that mattered.

Asked whether he would discuss any Preah Vihear issues or demarcation disputes with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen during the Asean summit over the weekend in Jakarta, Abhisit said general chats could be expected. However, he would decide on any follow-up to the dispute after a meeting of Asean foreign ministers.

Abhisit was said he had not sought private talks with Hun Sen, as Cambodia's total decision-maker, about ending the dispute, saying: "There is no guarantee that direct talks could settle the problems. Don't forget that I met him four times in the past few years, and after that another border fight erupted in February, and then the current fight."

The Cabinet also approved a Bt389-million budget in military funding to be spent on security missions related to border fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops. The largest portion of Bt289 million will go to the Army and Bt69 million to the Air Force.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Thai and Cambodian delegates would make initial statements to the ICJ on May 30-31 in an oral hearing, with Weerachai Phalasai, the Thai ambassador at The Hague, answering Cambodia's allegations.

"This hearing should last a minimum of three to four hours, before all documents are supplied to the ICJ, which should spend four or five months on the case, expecting to reach a verdict by early next year," Kasit said.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, the Thai government's chief negotiator with Unesco in the Preah Vihear affair, said all Unesco officials and Cambodian negotiators now realised that registration and management of the historic temple as a World Heritage Site before land disputes were settled was not possible. Any attempt to do so would only worsen the situation, he said.

The Nation