Name of presentation The Thailand-Cambodia Boundary Dispute and Its Implications for ASEAN Community 2015 Ubonwan Yoosuk National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan The Fifth APISA Congress Regional Integration in Asia and Europe in the 21 th Century November 2011 Oversea Chinese University, Taichung, Taiwan

Structure Development of boundary dispute between Thailand and Cambodia –History of border conflict –Domestic politics Implications for ASEAN and its plan to become ASEAN community by 2015 –Potential to jeopardize ASEAN plan to become a regional community by 2015 –Challenge ASEAN’s credibility and its principle of non-use of force –challenge suitability of non-interference principle

Development of boundary dispute between Thailand and Cambodia History of border conflict –Concept of “boundary” of Southeast Asian countries before 19 th century –Cambodia came under French colonial domination in 1863 –the border settlement of 1904 and 1907 between Thailand and France –Cambodia became independent in 1953 and the protracted negotiations between two countries from 1954 to 1958 –bringing the case to the ICJ in 1959 and the result : The Court ruled on June 15, 1962 that Preah Vihear was under the sovereignty of Cambodia by a majority vote of 9 to 3. The ICJ ruling left ownership of 1.8 square mile of land immediately around the site unresolved.

Development of boundary dispute between Thailand and Cambodia The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary, 14 June The listing of the temple as a UN World Heritage site in 2008 which was first proposed by Prime Minister Hun Sen in 2001.

Development of boundary dispute between Thailand and Cambodia Domestic politics –Although both Thailand and Cambodia have been long laid claim to this temple and border territories, however the current conflict has escalated due to domestic political developments in both countries, especially in Thailand. –The political elites of Thailand and Cambodia have used the border dispute to promote nationalism for domestic politics purposes.

Implications for ASEAN and its plan to become ASEAN community by Potential to jeopardize ASEAN plan to become a regional community by 2015 –ASEAN may be difficult to achieve ASEAN Political- Security Community (APSC) if it can not play an effective mediate role to resolve the dispute. –ASEAN member countries may not ready for the next step of integration. –ASEAN plan to become ASEAN community by 2015 depends on the behavior of its member countries.

Implications for ASEAN and its plan to become ASEAN community by challenged its credibility and its principle of non-use of force. challenged its principle of non-use of force –For over forty years, no ASEAN member state has used violence against another. Therefore, the potential dangers given the numerous unsettled issues in the region. challenged ASEAN credibility –challenged ASEAN credibility as a guarantee of peace in the region and it will be in danger of losing its role as driver of the regional security architecture.

Implications for ASEAN and its plan to become ASEAN community by challenge suitability of non-interference principle. ASEAN member states adhere to non-interference in domestic affairs of member countries. The ASEAN Charter provides for conciliation and mediation to solve disputes in some Articles of Charter of the ASEAN. Thai government preferred to solve the problem bilaterally. Cambodia’s internationalization of the issue by calling on the UNSC to engage this dispute. Most important obstacle to the effectiveness of current conflict management mechanisms is the member countries’ perceptions of its legitimacy as an effective organization to play a key role in settling the conflict.

Thank you for your attention Ubonwan Yoosuk National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan R.O.C.