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It has been one year long as of July 15, 2009 that Thailand has sent its troops to invade Cambodia seriously violating Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as international law. This is an act of insult to the nation of Cambodia, and in spite of this Thailand-incited confrontation, the Royal Government of Cambodia continues upholding peaceful mean through bilateral talks and seeks patience from its own military force. Cambodian government strongly believes that the talks are the best solution.

However, it is difficult for Cambodia to always uphold good cooperation and willingness in trying unilaterally to solve all conflicts peacefully in particular the border disputes with Thailand, based on international acts and bilateral negotiations in order to maintain sustainable and amicable frontier, while Thailand has shown no good will in pursuing talks. Often, Thailand publicly uses cool diplomatic paroles through media to mislead international community about the actual happening and show its fake intention to negotiate with Cambodia. Apparently, there has been little progress producing not significant result from many of a year-long bilateral dialogues introduced mostly by Cambodia side, owing to the fact that Thailand does not follow what it has said or agreed with Cambodia as quoted Samdech Aka Moha Senapadei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia saying that “Thailand uses its hands to sign and its feet to nullify”.

Thailand has played tricks by negotiating and at the same time sending more troops into Cambodia land and declaring the newly standing area as its territory. Further, Thailand induces its media to confuse international opinions by describing instead that “Cambodia has aggressed Thailand”. In fact, standoff area is legally Cambodia’s own territory. Thailand keeps up its greedy ambition to swallow Cambodia lands by all means; Thailand has never reminded itself of its act of aggressively taking the older aged Cambodian territory in the past. Furthermore, recently, Thai website called http://www.ilovethailand.org has displayed video clip showing that Thailand has lost its territory to Cambodia.

By closely following the case, the International Relations Institute of Cambodia strongly condemns all acts of Thailand’s invasion on Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity given the following reasons:

1. These invasion acts of Thailand committed to Cambodia clearly violate international law, the United Nations Charter Article 33 and 51; and ASEAN Charter Article 2 in particular a stated that: “ASEAN and its Member States shall act in accordance with the following Principles: (a) respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity of all ASEAN Member States; (b) shared commitment and collective responsibility in enhancing regional peace, security and prosperity; (c) renunciation of aggression and of the threat or use of force or other actions in any manner inconsistent with international law; (d) reliance on peaceful settlement of disputes; …”.

2. The acts are contrary to the ASEAN’s efforts in building the spirits of ASEAN community identified as one vision, one identity, one community.

3. These acts of Thailand’s invasion are political games of Thai politicians that have taken border issues with Cambodia to be hostage of its internal problems and torn economy.

4. All activities of Thailand’s invasion are silly aggressive ambition with no wisdom that are not practical in the 21st century.

5. Thailand is falsifying its history to incubate the hatred between both nations. This act was obsolete and eliminated in Europe and in the world for a long time.

6. These aggressive acts of Thailand are completely opposing to global and regional tendency that favors the transformation of border areas to the peaceful, economic and development zones. Thailand has been instead making those border areas insecure and war waged.

7. These acts of Thailand on Cambodia are affecting not only the security between the two countries but also that of the region and ASEAN’s image as a whole.
Made in Phnom Penh, July 15, 2009
By International Relations Institute of Cambodia