All heated up about heritage [-Preah Vihear is Khmer's heritage anyway, NOT Thai's]

Wednesday June 25, 2008
Bangkok Post

Public frenzy over the registration of Preah Vihear temple ruins on the Thai-Cambodian border as a World Heritage Site by Cambodia comes at a crucial time. Overnight, the issue has become a hot debate. We see a number of self-proclaimed protectors of the ancient site. Strangely though, many fear Thailand will ''forever lose'' the site, which actually stopped belonging to the country when the International Court of Justice gave a ruling in favour of Cambodia almost half a century ago.

As the issue is avidly politicised, people keep mentioning ''the loss'' without knowing exactly what we are to lose if Preah Vihear gains international recognition at the Unesco meeting in Quebec soon.

A superficial look at the issue may give the impression that the thing called ''cultural heritage'' does matter in our society. But does it, really?

Let's look at the way we have handled our heritage and heritage sites and we may realise that the opposite is exactly the truth. Do we take good care of Ayutthaya -our World Heritage site - which is under threat from encroachment? The attack on Phanom Rung Historical Park in Buri Ram is still fresh in our memory. We have heard of a mining concession in an area adjacent to the buffer zone of Huai Kha Kaeng wildlife sanctuary in Uthai Thani - which is also a World Heritage site. Are we considering doing anything to protect it?

Temple thievery, with bandits making off with precious artifacts, have made headlines so often that we are quite familiar with it.

Closer to us all in the Big Mango, national artist Acharn Chakrabhand Posayakrit is facing a tremendous threat in the form of a project to build a 32-storey condominium next door to his house, which also serves as the office of the Chakrabhand Posayakrit Foundation on Soi Ekamai. The project, which is being carried out by Singapore-based Dalvey Residence Co, has the alleged potential to harm a collection of artworks by this National Artist, including a number of paintings, puppets from his historic production, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and also his new production, Taleng Phai, whose preparation is under way.

Inarguably, Acharn Chakrabhand's house is a living heritage _ a place where the National Artist makes new creations. It is also a place where a number of artists and musicians come to work on the puppets, practise their skills and rehearse their performance almost every day. The house is a place of learning for art students.

Worse, it has been found that existing laws are all in favour of the project developer, rather than individual residents like Acharn Chakrabhand.

Although Dalvey has said it will do its best to minimise the impact from its construction, there is no guarantee that the house will still be livable in, either during construction which is to last three years, or after project completion.

After all, such a huge building will unavoidably alter the physical environment of the neighbourhood - and not necessarily in a positive way.

Interestingly enough, the state authorities, including the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, have looked into the issue. With despair, they have admitted that they do not have the power to stop the project, given the laws they have in their hand. Instead, they are placing their hope on ''social pressure'' to help the embattled artist.

The artist has launched a signature-collection campaign in which his fans and supporters sign up to voice their disapproval of the project. Yet no one knows if enough pressure can be generated, as Acharn Chakrabhand's fight against the project goes on almost unnoticed by society at large.

That is in profound contrast to what has happened in the Preah Vihear case.

More important, we have not heard a single word from the Culture Ministry, the agency authorised to safeguard the nation's culture and heritage. Which raises the question: can we still place our hopes in this agency?

I dare not say.

Acharn Chakrabhand's house is not just an individual's house. It is part of our national heritage which we cannot afford to lose.

Ploenpote Atthakor is Deputy News Editor, Bangkok Post.