“Vietnam strongly criticises recent
violent actions by some Cambodian extremists that violate both Vietnam’s and
Cambodia’s laws as well as treaties and agreements signed by both sides.”
Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Le Hai Bin, Vietnamese
Communist Party’s official newspaper Nhan Dan, 30 June 2015
“[This request for UN maps] also has the
objective to avoid and end the incitement of extreme nationalism by some
quarters in Cambodia to create confusion among the national and international
public to make political gains, which could create a catastrophe for the whole
Cambodian nation.”
Premier Hun Sen, Letter to UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, 6 July, 2015
“If you [Mr
Om Sam An] works with the maps – the maps lodged at the UN, you will render
automatically 50 Km2 of land to Vietnam because the maps that we lodged with
the UN – eventhough they are not for border demarcation – we will lose 50 Km2.
That is why the current government that abides by Article 2 of the Constitution
does not entirely use the specified map.”
Deputy Director of the Secretariat of
the National Authority in Charge of Border Affairs Koy Pisey, 11 August 2015,
Radio Free Asia
“[We] have not used any untrue maps;
they have been approved by co-presidents of the joint border committee and [the
committee’s] technical chief.”
Senior minister Var Kimhong, 3 July
2015, the Cambodia Daily
“Now we have the map in our hands, so
when there are problems we can know where our border is… We can explain to our
people to let them know where our land is and where they are posting the
[border] poles.”
Tbong Khmum provincial governor Prach Chan, 16 July 2015, the Cambodia
Daily
“We’ll use it to check the real
geography to see and know where Cambodia and Vietnam’s land is without
estimating. This map will let us make a clear argument and help us when we
report to the top leaders about compliance with the correct map.”
Governor of Kandal province Mao Phirun, 16 July 2015, the Cambodia
Daily
“[T]here will be…a training course about
checking the border, to make everyone know how to manage the situation on the
border, because they cannot manage the border as they do not know which side
belongs to us and to them.”
Interior Minister Sar Kheng, 9 July 2015, the Cambodia Daily
“The current
government uses [for border demarcations] the map specified in Article 2 of the
Constitution… And if the government uses
this map everyday Mr Om Sam An has no right to say the government uses fake maps.
If Mr Om Sam An says the government uses fake maps, then this means the
Constitution is fake. If the Constitution is fake, then the whole Cambodia is
fake, is it not?”
Deputy Director of the Secretariat of
the National Authority in Charge of Border Affairs Koy Pisey, 11 August 2015,
Radio Free Asia
“The
Cambodian Constitution was written with a mistake, a mistake that ties our own
arms by putting in it the map printed between 1933 and 1953.”
Premier Hun Sen, 17 July 2015, the Cambodia Daily
Vietnam
must be gratified to see Hun Sen goes into bat for them in the border issues so
eloquently. He picks up a cue from the Viets fast. Less than one week after Le
Hai Bin has uttered the word “extremists”, Hun Sen runs with it like a devout
disciple as shown in his letter to Ban Ki-moon requesting help to deal with “extreme
nationalism” in Cambodia.
It
is now confirmed at least the Constitution-specified map is not the only one in
play. Koy Pisey claims other maps are also used – without realising that move
alone violates Article 2 of the Constitution. She does, however, justify the
breach: it is done to gain 50 Km2 of land, which would go to Vietnam under the Constitution-specified
map.
While
breaking laws is nothing unusual for Hun Sen, the Viets concession of this 50
Km2 land is. First, as Var Kimhong confirms, the maps used for the border
demarcation are all approved by Vietnam. Would Vietnam accept the
Constitution-specified map solely? It may be a compromise that other maps are
included for its interest if the Cambodian Constitution-specified map is
considered at all.
Second,
if the land were Vietnam concession to Hun Sen, what would it get in exchange?
The public will never know because Koy Pisey has already declared some
information must stay as State secrets.
At
the border though, it is more worrisome. In all these years of border
demarcations, regional officials have no idea where the border is and how to
manage it. That is why provincial governors are so excited to now have the maps
and a Sar Kheng’s training course on border management. They are closing the
stable door after the horse has bolted.
However,
to make up for this operational deficiency, there are now new border committees.
Hun Sen has established another committee of the CPP top brass and a Royal
Academy of Cambodia research group. They look more like some gathering of individuals who can do nothing individually, and sit to decide that
nothing can be done together.
No
need to be in despair, though. Hun Sen still has an ace up his sleeve. To
overcome what Koy Pisey refers to as a possible fake Constitution and fake
Cambodia, Hun Sen says there is a mistake in Article 2 that disadvantages
Cambodia.
The
offending Article will be amended in due course. Hun Sen has prepared enough groundwork
to ensure he will have the two third majority in the National Assembly required
for any Constitutional amendment. A number of opposition activists have already
been arrested, and some parliamentarians are put on tenterhooks. Besides,
minority leader Sam Rainsy has already proposed the amendment, according to Hun
Sen.
The
bottom line is the border demarcation is based on a set of maps that Vietnam
approves, which could deliver Cambodia that 50 Km2. Hence, if Hun Sen lasts
long enough, Cambodia will get Prey Nokor back in due course, unless the Viets
are not as dumb as they are implicated.
Ung
Bun Ang
15viii15
Parthian Shot:
An
imaginary justice renders 18 month jail sentence to four unionists who block a
road traffic for about one hour – the same sentence for Chhouk Bandit who shoot
three workers. The reason for the same sentence because the road block could
kill people who are stuck in traffic for about an hour. The fact that no one
actually dies does not count. And the court logic is bewildering.
“There is no image of them [the
unionists] shooting three people but they blocked the road. Those who cannot
travel, how many [would] die because they could no longer breathe? You can’t
see an image of that. The people who [could] die while they blocked the road,
they could not file a complaint because they are already dead.”
Deputy prosecutor of the Svay Rieng provincial court Phan Ratana,
13 August 2015, the Cambodia Daily
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