Regional News
Thailand Says No Troop Pullback From Preah Vihear Temple
BANGKOK – Thai military officials meeting their Cambodian counterparts at the base of Preah Vihear temple on Tuesday said their troops were going nowhere until the two governments held more talks on how to proceed with Monday’s U.N. court ruling ordering Thailand to leave the temple area.
The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Thailand had to remove all soldiers, police and guards from the promontory on which the clifftop temple sits, part of the land over which the neighbors have fought several brief but deadly clashes in recent years.
Thai Major General Tharakorn Thammawinthorn met with Lieutenant General Srey Doek, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces soldiers stationed at the temple, for about one hour between the temple steps and the disputed borderline.
“The ICJ ordered us to move out. We will follow our top government’s order,” Maj. Gen. Tharakorn told reporters afterward. “We will do it step by step, but we need time.”
Neither commander said how many Thai soldiers were presently stationed on the promontory.
In issuing its ruling, the ICJ offered no map of the promontory but said it was bounded by the steep cliff that falls into Cambodia on the west and south, the borderline on a colonial-era French map on the north, and the foot of Phnom Trap hill on the west.
Lt. Gen. Doek said the two armies agreed to continue meeting along the disputed border every day to keep tensions down.
“We told our soldiers to cooperate with the Thai soldiers at the border to avoid conflict, and we agreed that the two sides will meet each other every day,” he said.
As for implementing the ICJ’s order, he said, “we believe the two governments will solve this case.”
Contacted afterward, Thai army spokesman Colonel Werachon Sukondhadhpatipak said he did not know how many Thai soldiers, police or guards were stationed on the promontory and that it would take at least a few days to decide what to do with them.
“They are studying the ICJ rule at the moment,” he said. “It could be a couple more days before a decision; there are many clauses to be interpreted.”
Technically, there should not be any Thai or Cambodian troops on the promontory, which lies well within a demilitarized zone the ICJ drew around the disputed area in 2011 and ordered both armies to withdraw from immediately. It took Thailand and Cambodia a year to negotiate and stage a joint withdrawal, and even then it remained unclear whether all of them ever left.
The ICJ issued Monday’s ruling at the request of Cambodia, which asked the court to interpret a 1962 ruling that awarded Cambodia the temple and its “vicinity,” but left the meaning of vicinity in doubt. Monday’s ruling gave Cambodia the whole of the Preah Vihear promontory, but not nearby Phnom Trap hill or an official border with Thailand based on the French map, as Cambodia was hoping it would.
That leaves Thailand and Cambodia’s border negotiations more or less where they were when the last round of fighting in early 2011 put them on indefinite hold.
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said Monday’s ruling was “the start of [a] new chapter” for those negotiations.
The ICJ expressly rejected Cambodia’s request to set the official borderline with Thailand using the French map, also known as the Annex 1 map. But Mr. Siphan said the ICJ had helped move bilateral border talks forward, because the court also dismissed Thailand’s preference for the local watershed line.
“The ICJ used the Annex 1 map to decide where the temple is situated, and Thailand said there is a 4.6 [square km disputed] area, but the court said nothing about that…. They don’t accept the watershed map by Thailand,” he said. “So I don’t see any conflict anymore.”
That may be wishful thinking. The ICJ said only that the watershed line could not be used to decide the vicinity of Preah Vihear temple. It said nothing about whether it could, or could not, be used to draw the local border.
And according to Thai media, Thai officials still believe the ICJ ruling leaves them free to keep claiming most of the disputed 4.6 square km and to use the watershed line in future negotiations.
“We think the judgment is positive and it opens the way for global negotiations on the whole boundary based on the watershed line,” Alain Pellet, who headed Thailand’s legal team at The Hague, was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post Tuesday.
Even so, Mr. Siphan insisted that the same bilateral talks that have failed to settle the border row to date would now work.
“We have existing mechanisms, we have the JBC [Joint Border Committee], the GBC [General Boundary Commission], and we have the bilateral bodies,” he said. “That is the most important thing.”
Mr. Siphan said he did not know when those talks would resume and referred further questions to Var Kimhong, Cambodia’s co-chair of the JBC. Mr. Kimhong had yet to return from The Hague and could not be reached.
Thailand’s Immigration Police have detained approximately 26,000 illegal migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia during an eight-day operation in Bangkok and surrounding regions, according to a Royal Thai Police spokesperson.
Mr Adisorn Keudmeuangkhon of the Bangkok-based Migrant Working Group said the drive was in response to an increasing number of concerns about an influx of illegal migrant labor.
“Some Thai people see that many illegal workers are competing for their job positions in the past few months,” he told me. “That’s why the ministry has to take tougher action.”
Civil strife in Myanmar and the recent implementation of a military conscription have driven thousands of Burmese into Thailand, while severe inflation and limited job opportunities in Laos have also encouraged an influx of workers from that country.
Between June 5 and 12, officials detained and checked 20,111 Myanmar laborers, 1,659 Laotian migrant workers, and 3,971 Cambodian workers, according to the Ministry of Labor.
It marked the start of a 120-day campaign to audit workplaces and arrest unlawful migrant workers, according to the government.
Migrant Workers to be Deported
According to Keudmeuangkhon, undocumented workers face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 Thai baht (US $136 to $1,365), deportation, and a two-year prohibition on re-entering Thailand.
Authorities did not intend to file criminal charges, he claimed.
Authorities raided 1,774 workplaces, according to Moe Gyo, chairman of the Joint Action Committee on Burmese Affairs, which advocates for Myanmar labor rights.
He stated that since the military junta activated conscription, there has been an upsurge in the number of arrests of Myanmar citizens in Thailand who do not have a work permit identity card.
All men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 must serve in the military for at least two years. The first group of 5,000 conscripts summoned by Myanmar’s junta will start duty at the end of this month, military sources told AFP on Monday.
According to Keudmeuangkhon, the bulk of Lao migrant workers in Thailand work as fresh market shopkeepers, restaurant servers, and mall salespeople.
Most people visit Thailand as part of ASEAN’s visa-free policy for tourists, but they stay longer than the 30-day restriction once they find job.
“Employers like to hire Lao migrant workers in the service sector because they can speak fluent Thai,” he told me.
Immigration Police Detain Illegal Migrant Workers
The Thai Cabinet may approve an enhanced program for Thai employers to register their unauthorized foreign workers in July or August. Keudmeuangkhon explained.
Last month, the Thai Ministry of Labor’s Foreign Workers Administration office announced that 268,465 Lao migrant workers were officially working in Thailand.
Baykham Kattiya, Lao Minister of Labor, told Radio Free Asia earlier this month that there are 415,956 migrant workers in other nations, the majority of whom work in Thailand.
According to her, the Lao government believes that over 203,000 persons working outside of the nation lack proper work documents.
However, a Lao official familiar with the labor industry informed Radio Free Asia, a BenarNews-affiliated news station, on June 20 that the number of illegal Lao migrant workers in Thailand and abroad is likely significantly greater.
“They go to other countries as illegal migrant workers through different types of methods – as tourists or students,” said the politician. “Thus, it is hard for the immigration police to collect data on these people.”
Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers
Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers
Thailand’s Office of Basic Education Commission has initiated an investigation into the electrocution of a 14-year-old student by a water dispenser in a high school. The event happened at noon on Friday, during the high school’s sports day. The victim was a Grade 8 student.
According to local media in Trang Province, the incident occurred when a teacher instructed the pupil to turn off a water dispenser amid a heavy rain.
According to a witness, the child collapsed while strolling with his friend near a water station. The friend claimed he attempted to assist but was also shocked by electricity.
According to reports, the friend then recovered, left the site, and requested assistance from teachers. A teacher ran to the scene and used a towel to pull the boy away by the ankle. He was taken to the hospital, but it was too late, they claimed.
The event sparked criticism from parents and netizens over school safety, as well as the slow response to aid the young youngster.
Mr. Chainarong Changrua, head of Trang-Krabi’s Secondary Educational Service Area Office, told local media on Sunday that forensic officers from Trang Provincial Police had visited the area. They discovered the blown breaker switch behind the water dispenser, he explained.
The breaker was burned out, thus the authorities assumed the disaster was caused by a short circuit that allowed energy to spill to a neighboring power pole. The student also appeared wet and was not wearing shoes when electrocuted.
According to the Office of Basic Education Commission, a probe team will complete its investigation this week.
The student’s father, Mr Pornchai Thepsuwan, 53, claimed he was saddened when he saw his son’s body. The boy (Wayu), was the youngest of two boys, he explained. He stated that following the tragedy, the school director and staff gave financial assistance to the families.
Mr Pornchai also said he would not seek charges against the institution because he believed it was an accident.
Electrical accidents in Thailand
Electrocution instances in Thailand have increased alarmingly in recent years. Many mishaps occur as a result of improper wiring and inadequate maintenance of electrical systems.
Public locations, such as schools and markets, frequently lack adequate safety precautions, putting individuals in danger. In rural areas, antiquated infrastructure exacerbates the situation, resulting in more frequent and serious events.
Although several high-profile cases have brought these challenges to light, genuine progress has been gradual. Furthermore, the rainy season heightens the likelihood of electrical accidents, as water and exposed wires do not mix well.
The government has made steps to strengthen safety standards, but enforcement is patchy. More education on electrical safety could help to reduce these accidents.
Unfortunately, better infrastructure and tougher rules may have prevented many of these incidents. The loss and injuries caused by electrocution are avoidable, emphasizing the need for immediate action.
Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand
Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand
Thailand’s Tourist Police said it is collaborating with embassies from five countries to combat tourist scams and ten criminal gangs in Pattaya. The Tourist Police Bureau, convened a meeting on Thursday Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am told a press briefing.
Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am, the Tourist Police bureau commissioner said the participants included ambassadors from South Korea, Ukraine, Russia, India, and Switzerland.
He told the briefing the he had ordered a crackdown on tourist frauds, such as fraudulent or low-quality tour operators and unfair sales of goods and services. Stepped-up operations began on June 19 and will continue until June 25.
He stated that the agency was working with numerous organisations to increase tourists’ confidence in visiting Pattaya.
Gen Saksira spent time on the famed Walking Street speaking with officers on duty and assigned them to seek for members of ten criminal groups known to operate in Pattaya.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will visit Chon Buri on Saturday to assess the tourism situation. He intends to visit the site of a future Formula One racecourse near Khao Phra Tamnak in Bang Lamung District.
Prime Minister Srettha recently met with Formula One organisers in Italy to examine the potential of including Thailand on the race schedule in the future.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister will pay a visit to Rayong’s U-tapao airport to discuss development on the airport’s land, with the goal of encouraging investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor.
Police Chief Reinstated
In other police news, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol has been reinstated as national police chief following the conclusion of an investigation into a highly publicised quarrel, according to Wissanu Krea-ngam, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s counsellor.
Mr Wissanu released the investigation’s findings on Thursday, after the prime minister formed a fact-finding committee chaired by Chatchai Promlert to investigate into the quarrel between Pol Gen Torsak and his deputy, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.
The four-month study revealed conflicts and disorder at all levels of the Royal Thai Police, but it was unclear whether these issues arose from a single cause or several causes, according to Mr Wissanu.
The findings revealed that both Pol Gen Torsak and Pol Gen Surachate were involved, with each team contributing to the tensions, he noted.
Mr Wissanu indicated that Pol Gen Surachate was reinstated as deputy national police head on 18 April following his relocation to the Prime Minister’s Office on 20 March. A disciplinary committee was formed to investigate Pol Gen Surachate, and he was ordered temporarily suspended from the police force.
Because there were no further difficulties to explore, it was decided to restore Pol Gen Torsak. He plans to retire on September 30.
On March 20, Mr Srettha abruptly transferred both top police officers to the Prime Minister’s Office in an effort to address the growing schism within the police service.
Kitrat Panphet, Deputy National Police Chief, was subsequently named Acting Police Chief. According to sources, Pol Gen Surachate could face money laundering charges related to online gaming networks.
Source: Bangkok Post
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