Did we lose?
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As I write this, the debate is still raging on whether Thailand is the black-eyed loser of the Preah Vihear court battle.
Most of the foreign media seem to think so, while our government thinks otherwise.
The Lawyers Council of Thailand put it diplomatically, saying, “Cambodia partially won the case”.
A group of angry Thai citizens are demanding that we ignore the verdict and not yield an inch of our land. Whatever your opinion, it should be clear that, in order for Thailand to live harmoniously as part of the world community, we probably have no choice but to adhere to the ruling.
However, within the legal boundaries, we do have some wriggle room. Even the ICJ acknowledged that the Annex I map is not precise and some adjustments need to reconcile it with modern maps of the area. There are legal grounds for us to contest any unreasonable delimitation of the promontory as long as we allow access from the Cambodian plain and that everything is done in good faith.
It’s counterproductive to keep whining about a ruling that’s final and cannot be appealed. But what we can do is to study the ruling in all its minute detail and find ways to salvage a better outcome.
Anan Pakvasa
Bangkok
