a day ago
Cambodia pushes for UN debate as border tensions persist
A letter from the Cambodian permanent representative to the United Nations has emerged, revealing a call the country made on June 16 for 'prevention of armed conflict' with Thailand to be placed on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly.
In the letter, made available in the UN database, Cambodia noted that it had approached to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) a day prior, on June 15, to rule on the border dispute with Thailand.
Thailand has said it does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICJ, and that disagreements should be resolved on a bilateral basis by the two countries' Joint Boundary Commission.
That Cambodian letter cited persisting border tensions despite the existence of the Franco-Siamese treaties of 1904 and 1907 and the court's judgements in 1962 and 2013 'affirming Cambodia's sovereignty over Preah Vihear temple and its surrounding promontory'.
Core to the letter was a reference to a 'serious armed confrontation ' on May 28 in the Mom Bei area, which Cambodia claims poses a threat to peace and stability in the region around itself and Thailand.
It went on to characterise attempts at bilateral negotiations for a peaceful resolution as having failed, directly attributing subsequent escalation to remarks made by Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, commander of the Thai Second Army Region responsible for northeastern Thailand.
The letter implored the UN General Assembly to accept the dispute for deliberation, saying Cambodia had been left with no choice but to seek resolution through the ICJ.
It is not known yet whether the General Assembly has accepted the request for a debate.
Cambodian troops 'instigating' confrontation
In Thailand, a source within the Second Army Region has claimed that the most recent discovery of Cambodian troops patrolling in disputed border areas was staged as a deliberate provocation, pointing out the presence of soldiers intent on filming the squadron crossing paths with Thai military.
The meeting between Thai and Cambodian troops in the Ta Muen Thom Temple area in Surin province took place on June 27 and was widely shared on social media.
In the video, Cambodian troops are seen pointing to their Thai counterparts and scolding them. The situation was allegedly set off by attempts to warn visiting tourists to leave the area in a timely fashion.
The unnamed source has asserted that the Cambodian unit seemingly intended to engage in the exchange of words, as it had set up video equipment to capture the scene.
The source pointed out that footage shows several Cambodian soldiers intently filming the meeting from several angles as others in the unit seek to instigate an argument.
The video is probably intended to be used by Cambodian information operatives to lift troops' morale and also stoke nationalist sentiment against Thailand.
The anonymous army member assured that Thai soldiers are aware of such tactics and have suitable countermeasures.
