Monday, March 03, 2008Bangkok Post
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej left on Monday morning for an official two-day visit to Cambodia, which is expected to touch on a bilateral dispute over the famed Phra Viharn temple, known as Preah Vihear in Cambodia, on their common border.
"We will be discussing many issues, such as a Cambodia's request for a loan to build a road and perhaps Phra Viharn," said Thai Foreign Minister Noppodon Patama at the airport before the Thai delegation departed.
Ownership of Phra Viharn, an ancient Hindu-style temple that straddles the Thai-Cambodian border, has been a contentious issue between Thailand and Cambodia for decades.
The dispute was taken to the International Court of Justice, which ruled on June 15, 1962, that the temple belonged to Cambodia.
Although the temple, perched on a cliff overlooking Cambodia, is now under the management of the Cambodian government, the easiest access to the site for tourists is via Thailand.
Thailand reportedly blocked a Cambodian attempt to have the temple declared a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) last year, citing an ongoing dispute over the exact demarcation of the temple compound, which is still disputed.
It is hoped that the demarcation disagreement will be settled before the next World Heritage committee meeting from July 4 to 12 in Canada.
"We will be discussing many issues, such as a Cambodia's request for a loan to build a road and perhaps Phra Viharn," said Thai Foreign Minister Noppodon Patama at the airport before the Thai delegation departed.
Ownership of Phra Viharn, an ancient Hindu-style temple that straddles the Thai-Cambodian border, has been a contentious issue between Thailand and Cambodia for decades.
The dispute was taken to the International Court of Justice, which ruled on June 15, 1962, that the temple belonged to Cambodia.
Although the temple, perched on a cliff overlooking Cambodia, is now under the management of the Cambodian government, the easiest access to the site for tourists is via Thailand.
Thailand reportedly blocked a Cambodian attempt to have the temple declared a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) last year, citing an ongoing dispute over the exact demarcation of the temple compound, which is still disputed.
It is hoped that the demarcation disagreement will be settled before the next World Heritage committee meeting from July 4 to 12 in Canada.
7 comments:
NOWAY! Ah Siem Ach-kri!
"...ongoing dispute over the exact demarcation of the temple compound, which is still disputed...." -- Bankok Post.
This is a demarcation dispute, not the Temple ownership.
I want to see this settle and get the area developed. We have lot of road to add, Hotel and restaurant to snapup, ..., park and whatever. This should make people who long waited for job happy and give hope again.
It is the nature of the fucken Thaicong thief to claim everything belongs to Cambodia!
Cambodia must expect more obstacle and jealousy from their greedy neighbors as Cambodia begin to emerge from the cold war!
Sometime in political tug of war there are those countries that don't want Cambodia to grow and to excel and Thailane is one of those countries that consistently continue to be in the way of Cambodian progress!
What belong to Cambodia will belong to Cambodia! Cambodian people don’t need to be economic slave of the Thaicong any longer and there is a big world out there and Cambodian people have a choice!
The fucken Thaicong has no right to interfere with Cambodian internal affair on the issue of the Khmer Phrea Vihear temple with the UNESCO!
Thaicong better fuck off!
Wrong, Cambodia is just a country. What belong to Khmer brothers and sisters (the people) will always belong to them. There is a difference here, 11:34.
Blocking Preah Vihear from being registered as the World Heritage has nothing to do with demaration. It is wrong for Thailand manipulating the scenario to block it from moving forward; their action benefits no one but animosity and mistrust between the two friendly people.
it so hard to believe even after decades of ICJ ruling in 1962, thailand still wanted to test the water on cambodia's preah vihear. how pathetic can thailand be? right in front of the world's limelight! i feel so sorry for thailand, poor thing!
Well, everyone is allowed to claim anything in our democracy society. Whether they will get what they claimed is a different story.
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