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My article on Koh Tral appears in The Diplomat:

"The popular Khmer view of Koh Tral – as reflected in the Khmer blogosphere, in popular song, and on YouTube travelogues – is that the island which Vietnamese know as Phu Quoc is historically Khmer, that Cambodia has never relinquished its territorial claim, that Koh Tral was unfairly awarded the Vietnamese in 1954 over Cambodian protest, and that because the maritime border used a 1939 French colonial administrative line never intended to reflect sovereignty (the “Brevie Line”) international law should dictate the island’s return to Cambodia.

This view and the quest by leading Khmer politicians to secure Phu Quoc for Cambodia appears rooted in myth. It reflects a misunderstanding of the history of the island and the Khmer’s connection to it, an exaggeration of Khmer leaders’ continuing commitment to the cause of Koh Tral, and a lack of appreciation of the legal hurdles involved in wresting the territory from Vietnam in courts of international law...."

http://thediplomat.com/2014/06/cambodia ... -koh-tral/

Well done for getting published!

Good article. I'd be interested in seeing some rebuttals.

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote:Good article. I'd be interested in seeing some rebuttals.

We missed you, specifically, at Quealy's tonight, BKL - more than a few people asked if you were around.

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote:Good article. I'd be interested in seeing some rebuttals.

I would too, from Bora Touch in particular.

Give an update if you ever get comments/rebuttals for the article. I'd be interested in following whatever discussion it leads to. Hopefully it doesn't go unnoticed (or fall on deaf ears).

There are some comments on the Diplomat site. In response Albeiro Rodas has posted on his blog another angle in the legal arguments

https://cambodia1.wordpress.com/2014/06/ ... -platform/

We've had some discussion on Twitter and I'm researching his position about which I'll make a full response.

I'm having a bit of fun poking people with sticks on that diplomat article... lol.

My very cautious initial response to Albeiro's blog post is that there is precedent for excluding from the 12 mile limit that portion of the Cambodian "relevant coast" which if used would result in the territorial waters taking in an island owned by another nation, as that island carries its own territorial waters entitlements. The land comes first in Land of the Sea determinations and the ICJ would not consider issues related to territorial sea or continental shelf without first determining sovereignty of the island based upon other considerations (Qatar. V Bahrain is relevant here*) , and here I believe Vietnam would prevail.

*ICJ before establishing territorial waters established Qatar sovereignty over island originally occupied by Bahrain and only 3 miles from Bahrain's coast based upon Qatar’s long term occupation.

A lively if often infantile debate going on on the Diplomat site

http://thediplomat.com/2014/06/cambodia ... -koh-tral/

as well as Khmerization

http://khmerization.blogspot.com/2014/0 ... amese.html