Logo

The nationalist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) failed to achieve any goals over the past weekend as its actions led to bloodshed among protesters and villagers in northeastern Si Sa Ket province.

At least five people on both sides were injured in the clash in Ban Phumsarol on Saturday. The bloody incident ended with a number of lawsuits filed by protesters, villagers and government officials against each other for criminal assault.

The PAD, led by activist Veera Somkwamkid, rallied near the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear to demand the Cambodian community move out from the disputed area claimed by Thailand and Cambodia.

Initially, the protesters threatened to remove the Cambodian community by themselves if the Thai government took no action.

The disputed area of 4.6 square kilometres adjacent to the Preah Vihear has been at the core of the dispute between Thailand and Cambodia for a long time and has yet to be demarcated.

The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding after 2000 to prohibit both sides from changing the status quo in the area. Cambodia has built a community, a Buddhist temple and security outposts in the disputed area, prompting diplomatic protests from Thai Foreign Ministry since 2004.

The PAD realised Thailand could lose sovereignty over the territory - shortly after making some bruising nationalist accusations against Samak Sundaravej's government.

The PAD accused Samak and his foreign minister Noppadon Pattama of losing the territory to Cambodia when his government signed a joint communique supporting Phnom Penh's listing of the Hindu temple as a world heritage site.

Finally, the World Heritage Committee granted the inscription to the Preah Vihear as proposed. The PAD launched a protest at the site and clashed with local residents in July last year, but failed to achieve anything - only sour relations between Thailand and Cambodia .

This year, its ally Democrat Party is in the power, but still the Preah Vihear maintains its world heritage status, and the Cambodian community and the Buddhist temple remain.

The PAD demanded the government under Abhisit Vejjajiva, who once shared the same dream, to kick Cambodia out of the area. However, the government realised the best solution was negotiation through diplomatic channels.

Many leaders of the PAD admitted demands to remove the Cambodian community by force are unrealistic and could- rather than solve the problem - create more troubles. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, a close associate of the PAD, explained many times he was working to solve the problem with Cambodia through the joint boundary committee. Diplomacy might take time, but it could guarantee Thailand not losing anything.

However the PAD has no unity. There are numerous rival factions, many competing for good positions in the New Politics Party. To be more precise, those playing around the Preah Vihear temple merely want to remind senior people in the PAD they have the potential to create trouble for those in power, so reward them with good positions in the new party, including some crucial roles.

Up to now, the Preah Vihear crusade benefits nobody as five leaders of the PAD did not approve the performance. The protest on Saturday and Sunday caused unnecessary damage and failed to remove the Cambodian community from the disputed area. It is too expensive to use blood to pave the way for reading a few statements at Pha Mor Ee Daeng, a cliff next to Phrea Vihear.

It also damaged legitimacy of the PAD, since the villagers who opposed the protest are normal people who cannot tolerate disturbance to their lives. Villagers in Ban Phumsarol are not manipulated by any political forces. They simply want the Preah Vihear to be open, enabling them to earn income from tourism and have routes to their farms.

Veera and all Preah Vihear crusaders need to answer questions from Veerayuth Duangkaeow, Sao Thong Chai sub-district chief. He asked: "What have you done for Ban Phumsarol? And what did you get from driving from elsewhere to read your statements on the cliff? And have you got the Preah Vihear back?"