On 12 May 2011, Mr. Thani Thongphakdi, Director-General of the Department of Information and Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, in response to media enquiries about the dispatching of the Indonesian Observers Team (IOT) to the designated area along the Thai—Cambodian border, affirmed that Indonesia would not be able to send its IOT until Cambodian troops are withdrawn from the Temple of Phra Viharn, because it violates of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and from Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda, the market and the community, because it violates the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary between Thailand and Cambodia. Furthermore, the arrival of the IOT while Cambodian troops are still present in the said areas would amount to legitimizing Cambodia’s actions and prejudicing Thailand’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson emphasized that the issue of the withdrawal of Cambodian troops has long been Thailand’s position which the Thai side has called for through both verbal and written statements at least 13 times on various occasions. Therefore, it is not a new position which just emerged during the negotiations on the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the IOT.
As for earlier reports referring to the interview of Datuk Richard Riot Jaem, Deputy Foreign Minister of Malaysia, during which he reportedly blamed Thailand for the delay in the consideration of the TOR, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson stated that on 10 May 2011, the Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister made a statement to the press clarifying that his remarks had been misinterpreted by journalists as he had, in fact, denied twice when asked whether he blamed Thailand for the clashes. Minister Riot was unsure as to how it was reported otherwise and also reaffirmed that it was the Malaysian government’s practice not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, especially ASEAN member states. The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson further stated that Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya received a call from his Malaysian counterpart about this issue and confirmed that the Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister did not make the remarks as reported, that the Malaysian government understood the situation well, and that he regrets the misunderstanding that had occurred.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th