11.11.2009

proxy arrangements

1. plots seen in Thaksin Cambodian gambit

excerpt:

Cambodia is now a more open participant in Thailand's political impasse, adding a new and potentially volatile regional dimension to the spiraling conflict. One Bangkok-based diplomat says it was an "open secret" that Thaksin had traveled to Cambodia since fleeing into exile last year. But Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen made clear his position when he last month offered Thaksin an economic advisory position in his government and asserted that he would decline any Thai request for his arrest and extradition.

...There are no indications yet that either side is bolstering its border troop deployments, but there have been hints of subtler saber-rattling. In a recent show of force, Hun Sen last month organized a parade of his personal bodyguard unit that displayed military arms and equipment that could be used to counter Thailand's United States-made F-16 jet fighters. In earlier skirmishes around Preah Vihear, Thailand has flown its F-16s provocatively low in a demonstration of its air superiority, a tactic the Thai military has similarly deployed in skirmishes with neighboring Myanmar.

It was lost on few security analysts that nearly all the hardware Hun Sen showed was produced in China, including tanks and surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) apparently modeled after US Stinger missiles. Meanwhile, Thai army commander General Anupong Paochinda strengthened his command in a potential conflict through a mini reshuffle that promoted allies from the elite Queen's Guard to the 2nd Infantry Division, which oversees security along the Thai-Cambodian border.

read more @ asia times


2. Chinese, Malaysian leaders vow to further advance bilateral links

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak agreed here on Wednesday to jointly advance their strategic and cooperative relations.

Hu said that, in the 35 years since China and Malaysia established diplomatic ties, bilateral relations had been increasingly mature with substantial cooperation results in all fields....CChina and Malaysia had also worked closely on major international and regional issues, Hu said. China highly appreciated Malaysia's firm support to China on its core issues, such as Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang.

etc. read more @ chinaview


3. India, Colombia strongly pitch for Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism

New Delhi, Nov.11 : India and Colombia have strongly pitched for the UN-sponsored Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism becoming a vital law enforcement instrument, believing that international joint counter-terrorism efforts will benefit as a result.

Emphasizing this through a joint statement issued on Tuesday after Colombia Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez Merizalde concluded a two-day official visit to India, both New Delhi and Bogota reiterated the need for intensifying global cooperation in combating international terrorism.

Merizalde reiterated the condolences of the people and government of Colombia on the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and expressed the hope that the perpetrators of the heinous crime would be brought to justice. [wink wink wink - ed.]

read more @ venezuela news

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