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13 October 2009
Source: Thai government Public group
Press Release

The Thai government has approved the framework to negotiate, survey and put up border markers on land at the Thai-Cambodian border and other mechanisms under this framework with a vote of 409:7 since the joint ordinary legislative Parliamentary meeting on October 28, 2008.

The framework clearly stated the master plan and restrictions to the authority of the Joint Border Committee (JBC) as shown in an English document titled “Terms of Reference and Master Plan for the Demarcation of Land Boundary between Thailand and Cambodia.” It was clearly written in the document that the map to be used as a reference is with the ratio of 1:200,000 (hereinafter referred to as “the Maps of 1:200,000.”

The said map was drawn up solely by France and denotes faulty border demarcation which also goes against the memorandum of understanding. Therefore, Thailand should not accept this mistake which may result in the country losing its land. Still, the JBC continued to use this master plan and authority granted by the document to proceed with solving the problem of the Preah Vihear Temple and its surrounding areas without contesting or disagreeing.

On August 28, 2009 Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had presented three JBC meeting documents and the temporary Thai-Cambodian agreement dated April 6, 2009 in Phnom Penh for Parliament's approval according to Article 190 Section 2 of the Constitution.

The negotiating framework that used the 1:200,000 map is the biggest mistake of the Thai administrative and legislative branches in protecting the country's benefit. Despite the majority vote for the negotiating framework, it fails to reflect a public hearing as advocated by the Constitution so this is an abuse of the power the people grant to their members of Parliament.

Therefore, the public has decided to make this known to the public and point out this mistake to the government and the legislators to fix the damage immediately. The government must cancel the Parliamentary resolution on October 28, 2008 and any actions that uses the French-drawn 1:200,000 map as a reference since 1990, both before and after the negotiating framework was approved. Moreover, the government must cease efforts to present all temporary Thai-Cambodian agreements drafted by the JBC after October 28, 2008 for joint Parliamentary approval. The government must also monitor the work of the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Thai representatives on the JBC to prevent any transactions that may result in the change of Thailand's border.

Members of the Thai Public

(Press release for press conference on October 8, 2009 at 1 p.m. at 9th floor auditorium of Building 1, Thammasat University's Taprachan Campus)
-M.L. Wanwipa Charoonroj, Expert Researcher of Thai Khadi Research Institute, Thammasat University leads press conference.
-Joined by network to follow up on Preah Vihear situation