Economic community is the key, Surin says
10/01/2011
Achara Ashayagachat
Bangkok Post
Thailand should not politicise boundary disputes but allow them to be handled in a "neighbourly" spirit, the secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations says.
Surin Pitsuwan, former foreign minister, told a seminar yesterday that this approach would bring about economic growth and other mutual benefits.
Boundary disputes were a colonial legacy as border demarcation and delineation efforts remain "works in progress", Mr Surin said.
He pointed out how a functioning agreement has yet to be established between Thailand and the once colonial neighbours Laos, Cambodia, Burma and Malaysia.
"We should address the border issues not as fixed [geographical] boundaries but areas of joint culture, neighbourliness and fraternity," he said. "Traditionally, there is no such absolute and definite boundary." [KI-Media Note: In that case, the entire Thailand should be inside Cambodia, is it not?]
Another way to address it is to wait until the advent of the Asean Economic Community, which will integrate the economies and other aspects of Asean member nations in 2015, he said.
By then, the spirit of shared economic and political prosperity will be imperative to all members, Mr Surin said at the seminar entitled "Our Boundaries and Our Asean Neighbours", organised through the Foreign Ministry.
His remarks come as the Thai Patriots Network, a splinter group of the People's Alliance for Democracy, has been stirring nationalist feelings against Cambodia in the wake of the Dec 29 arrest of seven Thais - including Bangkok MP Panich Vikitsreth and PAD member Veera Somkwamkid - for trespassing on Cambodian territory.
Mr Surin warned patriotic emotions and politics could either delay or derail efforts to resolve border issues in a constructive and amicable manner.
"We need to be flexible and pragmatic if we want to move forward or resolve some disputes," he said.
"Border demarcations need not be hurried. Surely they take time and, politically speaking, the counterparts need to look at the potential benefits or exchanged benefits of overlapping borders."
Jiranan Pitpreecha, SEA Write-award winning author and political activist, cautioned against colour-coded politics and emotions influencing diplomacy, as this could hurt Thailand's regional relations.
"Knowledge and information is key. Isolating information or distorting historical interpretations for specific political purposes should not prevail," Ms Jiranan said.
Thanom Charoenlarp, adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on boundary issues, said disputes should be dealt with by experts and not be dictated by political emotions.
As the PAD looks set to oppose Thai-Cambodian talks on maritime territorial issues next month, Adm Thanom said no one should link land and water territorial talks.
The maritime talks can proceed without having to wait for the land boundaries to be resolved, he said.
"Thailand has set aside some differences with Malaysia and Vietnam and we should hope for a similar deal if Thais are not fighting among themselves," the veteran maritime negotiator said.
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