by Pancha Seila
Let's hope that Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat make goods on his words.
Sadly, he is just a "jockey" like any other Prime Minister of Thailand. He has his hands tied, like any other Prime Minister of Thailand.
First he must secure the blessings from the owner of the "horse" and simultaneously he must know to mount the “horse”
Second, Thai Armed Forces which are completely independent from the government, any government of Thailand, is ready to cause trouble, and could be causing many troubles to Thailand Prime Minister, for instances drawing UNILATERAL MAP, no different from the Nazis and the Fascists during World War II and then claim sovereignty over Cambodia's land, intruding into territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia under the pretention of protecting three Thai nationals who crossed the boundary illegally on July 15, 2008, at any time when the owner of the "horse" lifts a finger.
If the area of the Cambodian territory which Thais claim to be Thai territory just recently after the inscription of the Temple of Preah Vihear into the World Heritage list on July 7, 2008, what they have been doing almost half of the century past? They must have been sleeping for almost half of a century, since 1962 to wake up and sent troops into Cambodia on July 15, 2008.
When Thailand builds up it armed forces including massing thousands of paratroopers and the Suranaree elements, tanks, heavy weapons and artillery, fighter-jets to intimidate little Cambodia, Thailand Prime Minister cannot say anything, except to follow the order of the Thai armed forces.
There is little hope when Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat "insisted that Thailand, as a good neighbour, want to find a peaceful solution to the conflict with Cambodia" for all the reasons here-above explained.
But little hope is worth more than an all out armed confrontation. For all its cost of two lives and two injured soldiers, the incident of Wednesday October 15 told the Thais that Cambodians are capable to defend their territorial integrity and sovereignty.