Get the temple back?!

Bangkok Post Cartoon, July 31, 2008.

From the Bangkok Post: Noppadon to Abhisit: Get temple back

Former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama has urged Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to keep his promise to get the ancient Hindu ruins of Preah Vihear back from Cambodia.

He said when he was foreign minister he made it clear that the Preah Vihear case was closed.

But Mr Abhisit, who was then opposition leader, insisted he would reserve the right to press for the return of the border temple to Thailand.

So how do you take back disputed territory with another country? By launching an military offensive of course. And it seems more than a little stupid of Noppadon and Abhisit to be debating the point of 'taking back' the temple (that was never Thailand's to take back) when they are really talking about instigating armed conflict with a neighbor.

Now PAD and the Thaksin faction are both employing ultranationalist brinkmanship for national political gain at a staggering cost of potential war with Cambodia.

And lets not forget that inside Abhisit's government is the PAD Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya:

Mr Noppadon said he was unhappy about Mr Kasit's remarks about Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

He claimed Mr Kasit made offensive remarks against Mr Hun Sen that could affect relations between Thailand and Cambodia.

This all bodes ill for the long term stability of the government and has dangerous implications for relations with Cambodia.