The sovereignty dispute over sacred site Preah Vihear continues
Thursday May 22, 2008
Bangkok Post
''The troublemaker was France, as they introduced the concept of borders. Ancient people just looked for a symbol before crossing from one zone to another but France drew the line for us to accept'' - Thai archaeologist Srisakra VallibhotamaForty-six years ago, the World Court ruled that Preah Vihear, or Prasat Phra Viharn, is under Cambodian sovereignty. But the significance of Preah Vihear lies beyond the tug-of-war match that Thailand and Cambodia have engaged in over it. The ancient temple is an historical symbol of interrelationships among different peoples and beliefs. It also represents a social and cultural history of mankind.
"Would Thailand stop harassing Khmer people living along the border, it's just a symbol for crossing from one zone to another only!" - KI-Media
''Preah Vihear belongs to neither Cambodia nor Thailand - it belongs to sacred powers. It has been a holy place for pilgrimage,'' said anthropologist and archaeologist Srisakra Vallibhotama.
According to him, Preah Vihear, or Sri Sikharesvara, has been an area for people from both sides to perform rituals.
Watershed lines were traditionally considered by ancient people as no man's land, belonging to no one. Crossing the areas required the performing of rituals.
Established in the reign of Cambodian King Yasovarman (889-900) under the Devaraja (divine kingship) Cult, Preah Vihear stands on the Peuy Ta Di cliff of the Phra Viharn Mountain. The mountain is part of the Phanom Dong Rek Range that lies between the Lower Khmer Plain and the Korat Plateau.
Those who wanted to cross the Lower Khmer Plain and the Korat Plateau needed to perform or attend rituals. Sanctuaries were built as homes to spirits called Phi Ton Nam (watershed spirits) and also served as unofficial border posts.
In ancient times, kings and peoples paid homage to the spirits there. Phra Viharn Mountain was believed to be home to Phi Ton Nam and then to a god who safeguarded local people.
Historian Dhida Saraya writes in the book Preah Vihear (Sri Sikharesvara) that the Khmer kings built the sanctuary, but the sanctuary embraces different peoples and different beliefs. Hence, the true meaning and significance of Phra Viharn mountain is universal.
Prasat Phra Viharn, as a pilgrimage site, has been a universally and internationally sacred place. Several great Khmer kings established there the power of Shiva, the Universal God, over the local deities and ancestors of the peoples.
According to her book, during the reign of King Suryavarman I (1010-1050), ancestral worship and animism were central beliefs of the Devaraja Cult. The king established a link between himself, as the God King, and Sri Sikharesvara of Phra Viharn Mountain.
King Suryavarman II (1113-1150) extended and centralised the Sri Sikharesvara Sanctuary, making the temple the core of the state cult, the Devaraja, and the ritual centre of ancestral worship.
It became customary to pay homage ceremonially to the Kamaratengjagata Sri Sikharesvara at the same time the farmers celebrated their annual festival.
According to Srisakra, people from both sides came to Preah Vihear to perform rituals, as they do to this very day. Therefore, he wonders why France believed the sanctuary belonged to Cambodia.
''The troublemaker was France, as they introduced the concept of borders. Ancient people just looked for a symbol before crossing from one zone to another but France drew the line for us to accept,'' the archaeologist said.
To survive colonisation, Siam opted for Western knowledge and, hence, fell into the trappings of thoughts and theories set by the superpowers.
As long as Thailand sanctions France's interpretation that any site with Khmer inscriptions belongs to the ancient Khmer empire, there will be no solution, he noted.
''It was France who started circulating the story that Angkor was the centre of civilisation and any land with Khmer inscriptions was under the Khmer empire. This model was created by France and accepted by us,'' the academic added.
According to him, English professor O. W. Wolters at Cornell University, New York, analysed inscriptions and found that Southeast Asian empires were not centralised states but were instead regulated under the Mandala system that observed Indian traditions. They were a network of big and small regions which revered the king of kings, known as Jakrapatdiraj or Rajathiraj.
Siamese kings loved Laotian and Khmer royals like their own relatives and some Cambodian kings were educated in the Siamese court.
''In fact, the Thai-Khmer relations were not heirarchical but were instead based on intermarriage,'' he noted.
However, imperialist countries ignored the Mandala system in this region and introduced European-style political and administrative structures to manipulate the Asian royals and the elite class.
They also exercised another tool - border demarcation - during conflict with other Southeast Asian countries. Maps became major evidence for making agreements or claims under laws, Srisakra said.
He pointed out that Thailand lost Preah Vihear to Cambodia because Siam had recognised the French map, which drew the sanctuary within Cambodian.
In 1904, Siam failed to send representatives to border demarcation surveys conducted by France. This allowed France to include Phra Viharn in the map, made by France and Cambodia, which was shown to Siam in 1907, even though it went against the principle of watershed lines.
Based on the watershed line theory, Phra Viharn Mountain lies on Thai territory. According to the French map, the mountain is located within the Cambodian border.
To prove that the Phra Viharn sanctuary compound, from the foot of the mountain to the top, is in Thai territory, just pour water from the top of the mountain and see on which side it drains. The fact is that the water flows towards Korat Plateau and to the Lam Trao reservoir in Si Sa Ket, Srisakra noted.
In 1959, Cambodia took the dispute to the World Court. It presented the map charted by France under the Treaties of 1904 and 1907 as major evidence.
Another substantial piece of evidence was a group photo of the French Governor of Kampongthom, some French officials in uniform and Siam's Prince Damrong, standing near a French flag being flown at full mast in the Phra Viharn compound. In 1929, Prince Damrong, then the president of the Royal Academy and a former interior minister, visited a number of historical sites in Si Sa Ket, including Prasat Phra Viharn.
On June 15, 1962, the World Court ruled that the ruins of Prasat Phra Viharn are under Cambodian sovereignty on the grounds that Thailand never lodged a protest against the said map. Nevertheless, the court ruling left some room for argument on the surrounding land where the border was not settled.
In his interview with Matichon Daily on January 9, 1992, MR Seni Pramoj, the lawyer who handled the case for Thailand, said, ''There is still some misunderstanding that the whole Phra Viharn Mountain belongs to Cambodia. This is not so. The World Court did not pass such a judgement. The World Court only passed a decision to return the right of possession over the sanctuary and the surrounding area, not the whole mountain.''
The controversy erupted again after Cambodia, during last year's Unesco conference in New Zealand, lodged a motion to nominate Preah Vihear as a new World Heritage site. Until now, the nomination has been deadlocked. However, a decision is expected from the World Heritage Committee within the next month.
Tharapong Srisuchat, director of the Fine Arts Department's Office of Archaeology, said the Thai side is trying, through diplomatic procedures, to push for mutual collaboration in nominating Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site because the World Court's ruling covers only the sanctuary, not the mountain.
According to him, each World Heritage site must consist of its nucleus, core zone and buffer zone, which should be circular, but Preah Vihear in Cambodia's proposal is in the shape of a fan with the core zone at its lowest end.
The temple's surroundings located in Thai territory, including the site of ancient communities at the foot of the Phnom Dong Rek mountain range, stone carvings on the Pha Mor I-Daeng cliff, stone-cutting sources and the Sa Trao reservoir, are also important and should go together with the sanctuary in the nomination.
He pointed out that Cambodia's attempts to register only the sanctuary could damage the historical value of Preah Vihear and spoil management plans.
However, Thai authorities and scholars are still hoping for a happy ending.
Srisakra suggested Thailand to negotiate with Cambodia for the declaring of the disputed area as a no man's land and the sharing of benefits if it becomes a World Heritage site.
''Thailand must be ready to discuss the matter, and have enough evidence to show that Preah Vihear cannot be an outstanding World Heritage site without its surroundings,'' he said.
59 comments:
With leaders, puppetic or coward ones, like we have had so far, the Thai will keep harassing us again and again. We need to have resolute leaders whose dedication is to defend their people and country.
Thailand needs to shut up. If this anthropologist acknowledged that Preah Vihear was built by Khmer Kings, then it must be Khmers' property. For whatever purpose it serves does not matter.
Srisakra needs to know that Khmer Kings built this temple on Khmer soil. It was Thailand who stole the 12 provinces from Cambodia, and one of them was Sisaket Province which Preah Vihear is located in. Now this greedy anthropologist and his cronies tries to fool the world for some more land that the surrounding area including the Preah Vihear mountin belongs to Thailand. Thai sees this opportunity that they can ignore the court decision in 1962
Hopefully, the cruelly corrupted people (CPP)won't be soooooo stupid when dealing with this aggressive, obnoxious Siam.
Where is Ah Sen Kvak? Why can't he deal with this aggressor? Why is he only agressive with the innocent Khmers, grabbing their land? That is sick!
Chheam Khmer
i don't buy your story, siam, get lost! national boundary comes and goes in historical times. sooner or later khmer will get back our lost provinces, just like you people stole from us during the dark age. we say no, you can't have preah vihear, sharing or not! if you want share, cambodian people will demand that you have to share management of our ancestors' phnom rung, phimai, wat phu, bangcock, etc..., so many more which have a long list of khmer ancestors' momuments that you people stole from us. keep in mind, this is the 21st century, not the dark age like when you people had it easy to steal our provinces from us. so go to hell. we will always demand our old khmer provinces back. why don't you people go back to being khmer slaves again like during the golden age of the khmer civilization of angkor. you lucky that our ancestors can't live forever, otherwise, we will make you our slaves again forever! go home!
stop say FUCK! Ah Siam!
The Siam should fight to protect their whores instead of beautiful cultural relics. If they get this temple, they will turn it into a whore house for American tourists. Go away Thailand. All you are good for is the poontang.
Dear compatriots in this article Siamese is clealy continues to ignored Prasat Preah Vihea belong to Khmer heritage, ignoring the international court decision's in 1962. Now they blemed on Franch who is the one trouble maker. Ah Siamese villainous character is showing their worst blood to the world. As Ah SRISAKRA. V mentioned Prasat preah Vihea Should not belong to any one, it a sacred place to humankind!.., My question is did Siamese GV said that before 1962? during Ah bad blood occupation?. Do not try to play smart, and foolished world oppinions; every body knew where Khmer territory was, the world knew who is the trouble maker, stop harrassing Kher people. I hope Ah hun Sen and his boss will teach Ah theives Siamese a lesson soon. Back off Ah SIAM
hey, hey!! i love americans, too. welcome to cambodia, america!! khmer-american friendship forever!!
this issue is between khmer and thai, not american or any others! please don't bring them into this picture. thank you, fellows.
Thailand is too much. Please let Cambodia free from your tricky act.
" The World Court only passed a decision to return the right of possession over the sanctuary and the surrounding area" . A thai lawyer who dealed with this case said.
I think that ia enough for Cambodia to register Preah Vohear Temple into world heritage list. They said by themself. No body force him to say like that.
The Preah Vihear Complex was built, as agreed by this archeologist, in the 10th century, by A Khmer King. However, we know the first Siam state, Sukhothai wasn't built until 13th century and its famous Ayutthaya wasn't created until the 14th century.
So whoever had becoming from whatever side, had been under Khmer sovereignty, they are all Khmer. No Siams.
Why would you have so much bitterness if these are just zones. Then let Cambodia have it since it doesn't mean anything and maps isn't what you Siams like to use. We use use archeaology then, and fact is you didn't exist when this temple was built!
If you bow before us and call us your Kru for the culture and and want to share the Khmer pride why don't you say it loud and clear so the whole world can enjoy it too!
Or, would you rather come and WAI KRU! hahah.
Where is the outrage when the Vietnamese moved their border markers?
Do you guys even remember Koh Tral anymore? Is it still Khmer's island?
My late grand-Ma had told :
" Siem is Thief-Race,from the King to
its people ".
I think she's very right.
Note : My grand-ma was a native Battambang.She had spend her living for 3 yrs in Bangkok,sometime before
second World war.
Preah Vihear belongs to all Khmer, period.
Bangkok Post is a bias newspaper. The whole world know that Preah Vihear is built by Khmer and for Khmer people.
That is correct, and the whole world also know over 20 millions Thai related to Khmer. Therefore, the temple also belongs to Khmer-Thai.
it seems to me that the court have handed on to khmer only the temple,
but the land under it has not been included.so sad...
เสียมน่าจะสงสารเเกมร์บ้าง หลังจากทรมานกดขี่เเกมร์
มานานเเสนนาน.ขอหยุดเเค่เนี้ยกเถอดเสียมเอย เพี่อเป็นเพื่อนนะจ๋า.มิฉะนั้น เราจะเป้นศัตรูกันตลอดกาล.ปราถนาดี
Siam Archaeologist, Srisakra Vallibhotama, is stupidly cheating the world to accept his explanation. He is an extreme Siam nationalist, who never abandon the Siam nature of greediness and theft.
No matter what you say and how you interpret about the Preah Vihear, Cambodia is the real and legal owner of the Preah Vihear alone.
The world has given a fair justic to Cambodia already.
To all Siam poeple, please be informed that you cannot convince us to share the benefit of our beloved Preah Vihear with you at all. From today on, you must stop fooling the world.
Bye,
both thai khmer and khmer,or even thai can belong to the temple,but the temple itself cannot belong to both countries,only one.
I smell war!
Was is imminent!
Mobilize and prepare our troops for the inevitability.
war is the last thing when we haven't the choice.คนดีๆเท่านั้นที่ชอบที่อยากจะได้ของคนอื่นโดยไม่อาย และอยากจะทำสงคราม ใช่หมาย?
Join development is the way to go.
I think the better way is to bring the case to international court again, and use the France-Siam Treaty in early 20th century as reference. It is to solve all the problem including other territories dispute. It was a big mistake that Cambodian government agreed with Thailand to create a White region. At this date, Preah Vihea is belong to Cambodia. I feel hurt to hear Thai archaeologist said that it is belong to no one.........
I vote for war!
Let's go to war!
Siem Buy Kry -----> Si Buy Kriem
When are you going to stop being a Thief-Race ?
We have got to teach the sissy Thai some lessons. LOL, why the hell with this Thai stupid archaeologist said such stupid thing like that. Where did he graduated from? Did he get his degree from a coconut shell? Go back and learn some more history stupid fuck!
Is these Thai scholars retarded or stupid. Clearly the temple is Khmer's belonging. Though, we have proofs with Khmer's scripts on the stone not just Prasat Preah Vihear , they are through out Thailand. And please learn how to pronounce the word correctly if you claim yourself such a scholar. It is called Prasat Preah Vihear not Prasat Khao Phra Viharn. Clear the name is Khmer. Did you get it you stupid scholars?????????? How many times you making yourself to look like a fool???????????????
I feel very angry to hear what the stupid thai archaeologist said. He represents a thai intellectual, how can talk like an uneducated person.
The word Siam=Theif. Siam will be defeated by the uprising Khmer living in its country. Khmer wake up and slaughter them all. I know one of my Thai friend told me that there about 75-80% of Thai has Khmer's blood in them.
Fuck Ah Srisakra Vallibhotama
stupid mother fucker!!
Let's the thai fight with the Nature,This is the will of creator.
I hate war so let's the Creator be the judgment.Because khmer people had enough war and misery.
Exactly the nature alone are the proofs already surrounding the Thai that they tried so hard to paste cements on the Cambodian Prasat throughout its country. Khmer have alot of proofs fool! If they don't believe it we can ask the UN body or world body to send its delegations and archaeologist to investigate any sites in Thailand. Believe me Khmer will win! The Malay, Burma already knew where the Khmer boundaries are.
Bring in another sutnami!
The Thai was a chicken shit, dare to do nothing when the khmer rough used to live there; now they want to take Preah Vihear? Bring back the khmer rough.
The Khmer-Thai democratically owned the temple by Majority.
Dea all Ah Siameses are thieves, Ah Siameses are villains, Ah Siam is bad neigbour. As we are all awear off; monthly, weekly they mobillied their military gansters which are: (The black clad)and somes civillians gansters along Khmer& Siamese border, especially in these locations POI PET, CHUOM SRANGAM, AND KOH KONG. They shared the duties to harasse our Khmer people they are playing such a different level continously. I see these actions Siamese GV has already declared war with Khmer Nation.
Response to the comments above: such, 12:46pm you should aware of the Prasat Preah Vihea must belong to Khmer Nation only there is no other nation to joint in, and 12:59pm First you need to know how long a go Siamese nation has been borned as a NATION?, and then how long a go Preah Vihea has been built? by whom?. Therefore the temple and the land not only under the temple itself, but the total territory where Ah Siameses perching nowaday is belong to KHMER NATION. You should better give up you reclaim now before it to late, Khmer will gouge out your only one remaining then you leave in darkness for ever.
Democracy works for election and internal political structure you fool! It doesn't work to use "democracy" to steal what is plainly others.
Yeah you may a bigger group of bullies, but that lunch money still belong to me. Democracy say bull shit with the corruption and send them all to detention!
No war. We will be crushed immediately with all those air strikes and battleships. As we know mr. Hun Sen specialty is in destroying our weapons and developing ghost armies and generals. We saw earlier picture of Khmer solider training with wood guns!
If you want the Khmer-Thai to have a fair share, first teach them their history and their Khmer culture. Now they believe they are Thai, so no can do.
When they know they are Khmer and can speak and write Khmer, then let us negotiate again on how to give them share of our culture.
Thai people are coward and bully only to Khmer and Laos. They sided with Japanese in WWII, with US after WWII, and currently with China--they're undignified race!!! Thai only afraid of Burmese and Viet, and they will face them decade to come, and eventually colonized by either,nonetheless. What a disgrace race, the Thaiiiii. Thailand a land of smiling stenched (whores) Pussies.
This is the typical Thailand trying to recrating the history and their baseless claims. This is an example of the sore loser trying to change the rules. The int'l community must be fair to Cambodia.
This is the typical Thailand trying to recrating the history and their baseless claims. This is an example of the sore loser trying to change the rules. The int'l community must be fair to Cambodia.
The Khmer-Thai is entitled to a fair share of their ancestor's inheritance. Ah Khmer-Yuon must stayed out of this.
Khmer-Thai are people not country. Preah Vihear is the monument that is belong to a country.
look if khmer-thai want to visit what is belong in cambodia, well get a proper visa and do it the right way as there are law in cambodia that will punish criminals who violated cambodia's property. just don't claim it or try to take what belongs to cambodia away from us. remember, cambodia welcomes everyone to visit cambodia, but have to do it the right way like having a visa, etc... this is cambodia, not your dream land!
this is why everyone has embassy. it's called diplomacy between countries of the world; otherwise, we're all be fighting each other forever. we are human beings, not animals. only animals can't communicate. what is wrong with thailand?
The Thai person wants to make excuse for Thai exploitation by using our brothers names, the Khmers in Thailand.
We say sure we share our brothers our heritage, they can come and no ticket fee for them if they can speak Khmer.
Just like Ankgor. No cost for Khmer people. That enough. Problem solved. Now to resolved issue of your greedy government want share of tourist dollas! Sorry bud.
Look dude (5:26), stop twisting everything up. This is a serious issue. The Khmer-Thai don't want the temple. All they wanted is an opportunity do develop the Thai area near the temple, and they don't want Cambodia to block them from it. They are entitle to benefit from the temple just as any other Khmer in Cambodia. Don't be so evil to cut them off from their right.
I think the Khmer governemt should start the claim of all those khmer provide from Siam rather than just Prasat Preah Vihea.
The real reason it wants the land surrounding Preah Vihear is that it can charge rent to Preah Vihear, because then Preah Vihear will be in their land.
The reason why they want Preah Vihear and that they are sore losers, newspaper like BPost and the Nation are the mouthpiece of their government.
Say It was Disney Land, we would get the credit while they get the rent payment and used that land to what ever case they project.
Cambodia needs daily newspaper like BP, the nation online so we can all read and keep updated.
We should use our minds and write back to the editor while we let the PPenhpost do a special about Preah Vihear also.
Get Anderson Cooper to do a Special from Preah Vihear. we need the world to be more inform.
Again if they get the land, and the temple is on the land, guess what, they can charge us Property Tax vis a vis Preah Vihear.!!
khmer were indigenous people, may be thailand should return all of the old khmer provinces back to cambodia in order to solve this problem once and for all. this way, thailand won't have any more excuses to say khmer-thai or what have you. why the khmer-thai sided with thailand, i understand! i don't think cambodia can accept that argument. to share job or whatever when cambodian people need the job more than them and there are plenty of khmer people to do the job. the information is so outdated when someone still say that cambodia is lack of skills or whatever; maybe 10 or 20 years ago was true, bu now? it kindna makes you wonder about their evil motive toward cambodia. i don't think khmer people buy that. what goes around comes around and bite your private parts off. be careful with what you wish for, siem thieves!
Why should Thailand return their land to Cambodia so that you monkeys and Ah Spam Rainxy can screwed up everything? It is better for Cambodia to give back all of its land to Thailand. That way, it will be better developed for all Khmer people.
Oh Khmer will share this temple with stupid Thai? What about if your share your wife to the stupid Thai, how do you feel? No Fway bro. Khmer's belonging will always belong to Khmer.
Well, if the ancestor left the wife in their wills, then you have to share it with the Khmer-Thai.
Stop being so greedy, fool. That is how Cambodia lost the country.
thai got their ass kicked by the mongols from southern china in 1200 AD, and they moved south to Sovannaphum (srok khmer). so these people were losers. they did not have written languages only oral lanuage which they still speak in part of china nowaday. they borrowed khmer alphabets for their language. so shut up siam baay krii!!!
There are many sentenses in the article talking about the relationship between the two countries as well as describing the temple as a place for ritual events. And another sentense further detailed that the temple was built by Cambodian king for the people to perform rituals.
To me, I can say that the temple belongs to current Khmers and Thailand belong to Cambodia as well. I have some ideas to back my claim up:
1. Never a king built anything for the enemy (ies) but his people.
2. Thai rubbed parts of country in the north from Cambodia.
3. French watershed line is the evident showing the temple is on the khmer site even though other large parts were stolen.
4. Thai seems not to respect the verdict of the international court branding khmer owns the temple.
5. Thai became exist even after the temple was built.
6. Never thai has done sth good for us but attacks us for their benefit.
you are right 9:02 AM.
All the temple belongs to current Khmers and Thailand belong to Cambodia as well.
Dear friends,
Thanks friends for sending me the very chaotic argument between the Thai and Khmer fellows. I do not feel surprised at all when I see such argument. I really appreciate their idea to side with their countries' interests, but I do not think they both are wrong. They are right but right in different context. The Thai archeologist and historian are right in the context that among the western scholarship there is no concept of nation-state/ nationalism/border before the colonialism in Southeast Asia. Wolter or even other scholars just found that in Southeast Asian pre-colonial era, there was only the concept of King of the king, which means that the stronger king would have suzerainty on other weaker kings, but the set tributes had to be sent at the set time. Such suzerainty is the indirect control or protection that the stronger king promised to provide only when the weaker kings asked for. Hereby, the internal affairs were still under the control of the weaker kings. However, this system is not stable since sometime the weaker kings could restore their power and fought back to the stronger king whose power declined. For example, while Funan declined, Chenla became powerful, while Angkor declined, Sukhotai became the dominant. Furthermore, the people in each kingdom could run away from their kingdom to join another kingdom when their king was cruel, raised high tax, or waged too much wars. Or they were arrested as the prisoners of war and put to work as the servants of winning king in another kingdom.
Therefore, without any concept of Nation-state/ nationalism/border at that time, according to the western scholarship, there would be no idea that this temple or that temple belongs to this nation or that nation. It is the sacred and Micro-Cosmological place that represents the world and the world order. It does belong to everybody who live under that structure. Between Thai and Cambodia, aside from Preah Vihara, I really see other many arguments, especially the arrival of Buddhism. Each country always claims that Buddhism arrived first in their country. But such claim just relies on the myth. There is no historian proving clearly about it. And more interestingly, if there was no concept of Nation-State/Nationalism/Border at that time, how can one claim Buddhism arrived to this or that country first. Moreover, Southeast Asian historians always provide the evidence that in each Kingdom in Southeast Asia, there was diversity of races. Even the Marxist theory also supports this idea. The control of mean of production is the most important thing for each kingdom's survival. So, each war conducted by each king is the way to accumulate not only the wealth but also people from different ethnic groups or kingdom. Therefore, by this theory, there was no concept of racism at that time. I am not sure if it is right or wrong, but I really hope that some Cambodian can try to dig out this doubt. And I am not sure about the argument of the Khmer fellow saying that Hinduism confined to racism or sacred race. What I have heard, not have learn, that Rug Veda was brought in by the Aryans who conquered the Dravids, so this idea may prove that Hinduism confines to racism, but after that conquer I do not think it can be confined to that concept anymore. Additionally, intermarriage can be done among the same class even from different kingdoms (nations?), which means, what I say, "race is less important than class/cast). So I think the Khmer fellow should explain it more.
However, the point that I want to criticize the Thai Archeologist and historian is they use history to serve their interest rather than to show the real fact. They should understand that history is not static, but changing all the time. They try to blame the French or the western educated Thai people who agreed with concept of nation-state/nationalism/border. But when a question is asked if they can declare their idea to get rid of the border and their idea to say that all the temples or other resources in Thailand belong to all the nations in the area, I dare to say they will not be brave to say that. No Thai people have willing to say the three Muslim dominated provinces in the south of Thailand belong to all nations in the area; Regarding Chaing Mai or Isan provinces of Thailand, no body dare to say they do not belong to Thai. But in reality, they historically belong to the Laotian or other ethnic groups. There are more examples about this, but what I want to stress is the only one intention/interpretation of the Thai Archeologist and historian is to help Thai to get benefit from the Preah Vihara rather than to show the dynamic history that can not go back. My only comment to the Thai scholars is if they believe that Preah Vihara is the ritual and sacred place, they should urge their government to donate the land around the temple to the world heritage organization because when it is attributed to world heritage organization, it means this temple belong to all the people in the world as they wish to say and do; and they should not say something about share benefit, but making merit in order to apply what they wish to say the place for ritual and sacredness.
And for the Khmer, his scholarly argument is not wrong either. When I started reading Wolter at the first time, there were a lot of clashes in my mind. Maybe it is because I studied with some Cambodian scholars that had the evidence to prove that the concept of Khmer ness (if you want, you can call it Khmer nationalism) really exist in the Khmer ancient inscription. I think this idea is accepted by our Khmer fellow already, you can see it in his argument. (I am not sure if the inscription was written by the Khmer King or the other Khmer, because in http://khmerenaissance.info/heritage_history/0023_inscription.html it was said that that inscription was written in the second half of 11 century under the reign of King Udayaditya the second but not by.) However, we need more historians to study about it deeper. Only one sentence saying that you want to be born in Kambuja probably could not mean the nationalist sentiment. Approximately, the word Kambuja means something as the sacred or prosperous place that everybody wants to be born in. As the Khmer fellow said, Kambuja should be a place consecrated with the Temples as the land of lord. It is like the heaven or the shelter of God. So, it is like present Khmer Buddhists who wish to be born in the prosperous/ peaceful/heavenly place. I have no more idea, since I am not good at history or religion, but I hope the Khmer fellow does not stop at this point, please goes further. His great argument makes me feel impressed; and provoke the scholarly question to the western scholars if nationalism in Southeast Asia have existed only after the colonization or before that; and how these scholars can explain the fact that if they do not have any idea of nationalism or ethno nationalism, how the people who live in Kampuchea Krom in present VN and Surin and Isan in the northeast of present Thailand can preserve their identities which are different from the Thai Bangkokian or other parts even they have been invaded and integrated into Vietnamese or Thai society hundred years before the arrival of the colonialism.
My name is Pheakdey, literally means Honesty/ holy/loyalty but I do not think I am sort of that. Many months ago I read the website of Khmer renaissance of Dr. Aing Choulean, and I found one thing very interesting that in the ancient Khmer empire, the Brahmin use the bullshit to consecrate some inauspicious places to be auspicious/holy places. So, I think my name should be interpreted as "Bullshit" which sounds local. So, let me say again, my name is Bullshit, graduated from Buddhist Institute with the bullshit and un-academic thesis (it should be called a dream rather than thesis), and a child of a nurse whose name is Ly in Oudong village of Cambodia.
UNESCO has big bias on this World Heritage Site.
Khmer just has right on the main building.
I read an article on Bangkok Post before. The article was wrote from Cambodia. And it has no biaz.
Funny, Khmer claims thailand belong to them here...
Thai is the grim, Thai is the loser, Thai will see what they've done. The god will help Khmer not help the bad people. I'm also the Thailand , I don't think that other people of Thailand do the right, but I think that Khmer do the right so I support Khmer.
I suppose that Thailand shouldn't make a war with Khmer. I think we should be friend.
Preah Vihear is belong to Cambodia!!!
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