By Avudh Panananda
The Nation
Although the People’s Alliance for Democracy is pushing for the military option, the yellow shirts have conceded that the fighting would not be an end in itself but a means to strengthen the Thai position for negotiations.
The best-laid plans to pave the way for early elections may go up in smoke if Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva fails to launch negotiations to resolve the dispute with Cambodia over the area surrounding Preah Vihear Temple.
This week and the next will be crucial to determine if the two countries have a reasonable chance of patching up their differences.
At the 35th meeting of the World Heritage Committee in July, Cambodia will be pushing for its Preah Vihear management plan, which also covers the area claimed by both countries.
Thailand cannot afford to be in the middle of an election campaign or be busy forming a coalition if it plans to defend what it believes is its territory.
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