Hun Sen Asks Western Leaders to Help Resolve Cambodia’s Border Disputes [I commend Hun Sen for this] លោក ហ៊ុន សែន ស្វែងរក​ជំនួយ​ផែនទី​ពី​មហាអំណាចអាមេរិក អង់គ្លេស និង​បារាំង

2015-07-15

Cambodian Border Committee chairman Var Kim Hong displays a map used to demarcate the border, July 2, 2015.

RFA

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen sent letters to the leaders of the three western countries on Wednesday asking to borrow a decades-old map to try to settle disputes over alleged territorial encroachment by Vietnam.

The Cambodian leader sent letters to U.S. President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron to ask for their “cooperation and assistance on an important issue about territory integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia” by lending him the 1964 map so it could be compared to Southeast Asia nation’s official map.

Besides copies of the map of mainland Southeast Asia prepared by former colonial ruler France, Hun Sen asked the three western leaders to provide a group of experts to verify the map that is being used by Cambodia and Vietnam to demarcate the border, according to copies of the letters obtained by RFA’s Khmer Service. 

“The request is based on national interests…and to avoid any incitement from extremists who would devastate Cambodia,” the letters said in an unspecified reference to opposition politicians who have accused the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) of using maps drawn by Vietnam, which invaded and occupied Cambodia in 1979.

“This request is aimed at building a peaceful border with neighboring countries,” the letters continues. “So for the sake of regional peace and our Cambodian people, I hope that you will cooperate and provide us the requested assistance.”

Var Kim Hong, chairman of Cambodia’s border committee, said his country would use the maps loaned by the three western nations to verify the Cambodian map being used to demarcate the border with Vietnam and clear up persistent accusations against the government that its official map is fake.

“We will use the maps to verify with our Cambodian one if people still don’t believe [the government],” he said. “The opposition party continues to criticize us. They said our map is fake. We are seeking assistance from foreign countries to prove the government’s stance.”

Earlier this month, Hun Sen had asked U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to loan him the map prepared by France so it could be compared to the one Cambodia is using to demarcate the border.

Disputes lead to clashes

Ongoing border issues between Cambodia and Vietnam led to clashes at the end of June when Vietnamese villagers attacked and beat Cambodian activists who were inspecting a road that the Vietnamese constructed in a disputed area of Svay Rieng province, according to the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). The Vietnamese say they were also attacked by Cambodians.

Now CNRP lawmakers say they will lead about 1,000 of their supporters to the site of a border dispute with Vietnam in the southeast Cambodian province, where they claim that Cambodia has lost about 30 hectares of land to its more powerful and populous neighbor.

CNRP Lawmaker Ou Chanrith said the group will visit villagers in the area to tell residents that they can cultivate crops on the contested land in the province’s Romdoul district. 

“If the Vietnamese prevent them from trying to take the land, then please report it to us, and we will ask the local authorities to intervene,” he said. 

But CNRP lawmaker Riel Khemarin said Svay Rieng authorities informed him that they will allow only 100 supporters to access the site, while the rest of the group must stand 200 to 300 meters away. 

“The authorities told me that they will not allow such a large group of people because they are afraid that they will step on people’s crops,” he said.

But Riel Khemarin said he does not accept that explanation. 

“We must go to see the border posts,” to make sure all activities along the border are stopped, he said.  

On Tuesday, Interior Minister Sar Kheng instructed about 400 officials, including border police and provincial governors from the regions bordering Vietnam, not to make informal deals concerning disputed land with their Vietnamese counterparts, The Cambodia Daily reported.

The CNRP also sent a letter asking the government to call off its work on demarcating the border until after the next general election in 2018, but National Assembly [parliament] president Heng Samrin refused to endorse it, the report said.

Last week, the Cambodia-Vietnam Joint Border Committee held talks in which the two countries recognized that the process of land delineation was “complicated,” despite having completed around 83 percent of the 1,228-kilometer (763-mile) border so far, and “agreed to finish demarcating the border very soon.” 

Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

(ចុះ​ផ្សាយ​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ   15-07-2015, 8:53 pm) |  ដោយ : លាង ដឺ​លុច           

រូបភាព

ទំនាស់​ព្រំដែន​កម្ពុជា​វៀតណាម​ទំនងជា​មាន​ភាព​ស្រួចស្រាវ​ជាង​បញ្ហា​ដែន​សីមា​កម្ពុជា​ថៃ​ទៅទៀត​នៅពេលនេះ។ នៅក្នុង​ទី១៥កក្កដា​ឆ្នាំ២០១៥ តែមួយ​នេះ លោកនាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ខ្មែរ ហ៊ុន សែន បាន​សរសេរ​លិខិត​ទៅ​ប្រធានាធិបតី​នៃ​សហរដ្ឋអាមេរិក លោក បា​រ៉ា​ក់ អូ​បា​ម៉ា ទៅ​ប្រធានាធិបតី​បារាំង ហ្វ្រ​ង់​ស័​រ ហូ​ឡង់ និង​នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​អង់គ្លេស ដេវីត ខេ​មេ​រ៉ុ​ន ដើម្បី​ស្នើសុំ​ចម្លង​ផែនទី​របស់​កម្ពុជា​ជាមួយ​វៀតណាម ដែល​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជា​គិតថា​ប្រទេស​មហាអំណាច​ទាំង៣នេះ​រក្សាទុក​ដល់​សព្វថ្ងៃ​នេះ។


ប្រមុខ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ក្រុងភ្នំពេញ​បាន​ផ្ញើលិខិត​ចេញទៅ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​នៃ​ប្រទេស​មហាអំណាច​ទាំង៣នៅថ្ងៃនេះ ដើម្បី​ស្នើសុំ​ខ្ចី​ផែនទី​ដែល​ប្រទេស​ទាំងអស់​សុទ្ធ​តែមាន​តាំងពីដើម​ទស្សវត្សរ៍​ឆ្នាំ១៩៦០ ដើម្បី​យកមក​ផ្ទៀងផ្ទាត់​ជាមួយ​ផែនទី​ខ្នាត ១/១០០ ០០០ ដែល​បោះពុម្ព​ដោយ​ក្រុម​ភូមិសាស្ត្រ​ឥណ្ឌូចិន ហើយ​ដែល​កម្ពុជា​កំពុង​ប្រើប្រាស់​ក្នុងការ​កំណត់ និង​បោះបង្គោល​ព្រំដែន​ជាមួយ​ប្រទេស​វៀតណាម។

លិខិត​ទាំងបី​ដែល​សរសេរ​ដោយ​លោក ហ៊ុន សែន ដើម្បី​ពន្យល់អំពី​ភាព​ចាំបាច់​របស់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​កម្ពុជាក្នុងការទទួលបាន​ផែនទី​ពីប្រទេស​មហាអំណាច​ទាំង៣ មាន​ន័យ​ស្រដៀងគ្នា ដែលទាក់ទង​នឹង​ការ​ដោះស្រាយ​ទំនាស់​ព្រំដែន​ជាមួយ​ប្រទេស​វៀតណាម​។ នៅក្នុង​លិខិត​ដែល​លោក ហ៊ុន សែន សរសេរ​ទៅ​លោក​ប្រធានាធិបតី​ បារ៉ាក់ អូបាម៉ា បញ្ជាក់យ៉ាង​ដូច្នេះថា៖«ការ​ស្នើសុំនេះ​ក្នុង​គោលបំណងកសាង​នូវព្រំដែន​ជាមួយប្រទេសជិត​ខាង​ប្រកប​ដោយ​សន្តិភាព​ មិត្តភាព កិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការ និង​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍន៍ ព្រមទាំង​ប្រកប​ដោយ​តម្លាភាពចំពោះប្រជាជាតិ​កម្ពុជា​ទាំង​មូល»។

នៅក្នុង​លិខិ​តផ្ញើទៅ​លោកប្រធានាធិបតី​បារាំងឯណោះវិញ លោក​នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ ហ៊ុន សែន បាន​ពន្យល់ជ្រៅជាងនេះ។ លោក ហ៊ុន សែន សរសេរថា៖«...ក៏​ដូច​ជា​ក្នុងគោល​បំណង​បញ្ចៀស និង​បញ្ចប់នូវ​ការ​ញុះញង់ បង្កើត​ស្មារតី​ជាតិ​និយម​ជ្រុល ហើយដែលកើត​នាំឲ្យមានការ​ភាន់ច្រឡំ ក្នុង​ចំណោមសាធារណ​​មតិជាតិ និង​អន្តរជាតិ ដែលជាប្រការ​អាច​បង្កើត​គ្រោះ​មហន្តរាយដ៏ធំធេង​ដល់ជាតិ​កម្ពុជា»៕