The re-alignment of the Cambodian-Thai border at cliffside temple of Preah Vihear has ignited a firestorm of anger against the PM Samak's ruling coalition government , especially as this shift of the frontier appears to be benefiting Samak's puppet master, Ole Blue Eyes Shinawatra, thanks to the less-than-transparent dealings of the former PM's lawyer in settling the dispute in favor of the Cambodians. The dispute about the temple has galvanized support for the opposition without really threatening Samak, who can count of 2/3s of the Senate votes, although there are chinks in its armor.
"There are three things that can make Thai people emotional," claims Gothom Arya, a veteran human rights campaigner here. "The royal family, nationalism and religion."
Samak dismisses efforts to evict him from government house as futile and says that the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, but access from the neighboring country is only by cliff. Thai Rath, a conservative newspaper ran an article about lands Thailand lost to its neighbors Burma, Laos, and Cambodia without mentioning the annexation of the four southern provinces of Yala from Malaysia. Thais are extremely chauvinistic about their country and in 2003 a Thai actress's statement that Angkor Wat was a Thai sparked anti-Thai riots in Phnom Penh. Several of Thaksin's businesses were razed and he threatened to send in Thai commandos to protect his property. Calm heads prevailed in that incident, but Thaksin is a master manipulator, so you can't tell on what side of this dispute he is betting his money, although the Thai courts jail two of his lawyers this week for attempted bribery of the Supreme court with $60,000 in baht were found in a lunch bag within the tribunal chambers.
$60,000 baht?
I'm bought at least for the weekend.
As for pissing off the Thais.
It's all smoke and mirrors for Samak and he knows he isn't going anywhere but home to government house to cook some food no matter how vehemently the democratic leader accuses the PM of collusion.
"Mai tham arai."
I ain't done nothing.
Check out the satellite map. No matter what the Cambodians still will have to climb the cliff.
For a related article click on this URL
http://www.mangozeen.com/temple-is-thailand-or-else.htm
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