The Nation
Thai World Heritage panel chief expects positive response to plea
Thailand will ask Unesco to delay a decision on Cambodia's proposal to list Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site, said Pongpol Adireksarn, head of Thailand's World Heritage Committee.
His statement followed the Central Administrative Court injunction on Saturday against the Thai government supporting Cambodia's bid.
The court said the position taken by the government "might undermine Thailand's future standing on the territorial dispute". The government communique gave Cambodia's bid "active support", the ruling said.
The Unesco World Heritage Committee is meeting from Wednesday till July 10 in Quebec, Canada.
Pongpol cited Unesco's Article 11, Item 3, which states that listing of World Heritage sites that straddle two countries' territories cannot be done without endorsement from both sides.
He expected the committee would respond positively to the appeal.
Pongpol said the proposal to Unesco to list Preah Vihear should be submitted jointly by both countries, which is similar to the position Thailand took on the issue last year. He said he would seek Cambodia's cooperation at the Quebec meeting.
"This temple should unite instead of divide us. This is why we are suggesting a joint application," Pongpol said.
Pongpol said the temple should be a major tourist attraction for both countries. "If there is conflict, no tourists will come to visit because they fear danger," he added. "We can both take care of the temples and of the tourists."
Separately, Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Veerasak Futrakul dismissed growing fears that the court injunction would send Thai-Cambodian ties into a tailspin.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand Ung Sean, he said bilateral ties had not been affected by the court's order and Phnom Penh considered the ruling, as well the raising of the issue during last week's no-confidence debate in Parliament, as Thailand's domestic matter.
Embattled Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama remained tight-lipped over the ministry's next move, saying more time was needed to assess the situation in light of the injunction.
The director-general of the ministry's Legal Affairs Department, Krit Kraijitti, did not rule out appealing the injection.
Suwat Apaipak, a member of the legal team that succeeded in getting the court to overturn a June 17 Cabinet decision, urged Noppadon to inform Cambodia and the UN cultural body that Thailand could no longer support the listing bid.
The injunction has proved to be a major political embarrassment for the government. A clearer response should be revealed on Tuesday following the weekly Cabinet meeting, where the issue is expected to be high on the agenda.
Despite the government's insistence that the joint communique calling for the listing of Preah Vihear had no bearing on territorial claims by the two countries, Pongpol said the next move would have to come from the Cabinet.
His predecessor on the committee, Adul Wichiancharoen, said the earlier call for Thailand and Cambodia to jointly apply for the Unesco status was a way to depoliticise the thorny issues of territorial dispute and sovereignty.
Pipob Thongchai, a member of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy, said Noppadon should show responsibility by resigning from his Cabinet post.
Thailand will ask Unesco to delay a decision on Cambodia's proposal to list Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site, said Pongpol Adireksarn, head of Thailand's World Heritage Committee.
His statement followed the Central Administrative Court injunction on Saturday against the Thai government supporting Cambodia's bid.
The court said the position taken by the government "might undermine Thailand's future standing on the territorial dispute". The government communique gave Cambodia's bid "active support", the ruling said.
The Unesco World Heritage Committee is meeting from Wednesday till July 10 in Quebec, Canada.
Pongpol cited Unesco's Article 11, Item 3, which states that listing of World Heritage sites that straddle two countries' territories cannot be done without endorsement from both sides.
He expected the committee would respond positively to the appeal.
Pongpol said the proposal to Unesco to list Preah Vihear should be submitted jointly by both countries, which is similar to the position Thailand took on the issue last year. He said he would seek Cambodia's cooperation at the Quebec meeting.
"This temple should unite instead of divide us. This is why we are suggesting a joint application," Pongpol said.
Pongpol said the temple should be a major tourist attraction for both countries. "If there is conflict, no tourists will come to visit because they fear danger," he added. "We can both take care of the temples and of the tourists."
Separately, Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Veerasak Futrakul dismissed growing fears that the court injunction would send Thai-Cambodian ties into a tailspin.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand Ung Sean, he said bilateral ties had not been affected by the court's order and Phnom Penh considered the ruling, as well the raising of the issue during last week's no-confidence debate in Parliament, as Thailand's domestic matter.
Embattled Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama remained tight-lipped over the ministry's next move, saying more time was needed to assess the situation in light of the injunction.
The director-general of the ministry's Legal Affairs Department, Krit Kraijitti, did not rule out appealing the injection.
Suwat Apaipak, a member of the legal team that succeeded in getting the court to overturn a June 17 Cabinet decision, urged Noppadon to inform Cambodia and the UN cultural body that Thailand could no longer support the listing bid.
The injunction has proved to be a major political embarrassment for the government. A clearer response should be revealed on Tuesday following the weekly Cabinet meeting, where the issue is expected to be high on the agenda.
Despite the government's insistence that the joint communique calling for the listing of Preah Vihear had no bearing on territorial claims by the two countries, Pongpol said the next move would have to come from the Cabinet.
His predecessor on the committee, Adul Wichiancharoen, said the earlier call for Thailand and Cambodia to jointly apply for the Unesco status was a way to depoliticise the thorny issues of territorial dispute and sovereignty.
Pipob Thongchai, a member of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy, said Noppadon should show responsibility by resigning from his Cabinet post.
7 comments:
And what the international law for! Nex time the Thai king go to shit shout ask Cambodia permision too!
they mean the unesco decision can undermine thailand's future stealing of preah vihear? really clever of them, isn't it? icj rules supreme and this is what unesco need to look into and uphold icj ruling as thailand really don't have any legitimate saying in this at all, to say the least. god bless cambodia.
plus, unesco can not and should not honor stealing from cambodia belongings. must we say more?
Thailand cannot strangle Cambodia from enlisting its temple in the world heritage. Thailand has proven itself the country Cambodia not to be trusted based from the past and the history. With the fare of the Hague Intl court and the UNESCO, I hope they would understand Cambodia's stance to go alone and with the support of Thailand government. UNESCO must consider their decision wisely base on the whole picture of Prah Vichear's past and present and the Cambodia's rightful ownership verdict by the Hague Int'l court. Cambodia is not asking for more than its fare share to peacefully manage its own temple without any interferences.
I agree 100% with above compatriots, UNESCO should go a head with listing Preah Vihea as World Heritage Site following the Request from Cambodia and based on the whole picture of Prah Vichear's past and present and the Cambodia's rightful ownership verdict by the Hague Int'l court either with Thailand support or not. It is an entirely Combodia's property and affairs. UNESCO, please make your wise decsion on this issue as a UN BODY, based on International Rule of Law. It is very very clear that Thailand demand is legal baseless. it is really childish demand. The real reason behind is to share money from our great great grand parants' heritage. May Buddha bless Cambodia
If UNESCO REJECT CAMBODIAN PREAH VIHEAR APPLICATION,KHMER STILL HAS A FULL OWNERSHIP OF THE PREAH VIHEAR AND OUR GOVERNMENT SHOULD DISPATCH MORE TROOP TO GAURD THE AREA AND OUR KHMER VILLAGER THERE!!!WHAT IS KHMER'S WILL STILL BELONG TO KHMER FOR EVER,NO ONE CAN STEAL ANYMORE WITHOUT PAYING THE HIGHEST PRICE OF THEIR BLOOD.ONE TOUCH TO KHMER LIFE REGARDING THE PREAH VIHEAR,WE'LL FLOOD THE MEKONG RIVER WITH BLOOD.
BRAVO LE CAMBODGE (KHMERE)!
BRAVO PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE DU KHMERE!
BRAVO INSCRIPTION DANS LE LISTE DE UNISCO
CHET KHMER DOCH THMOR REUNG PEUNG CHUMHOR!
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