Thursday June 19, 2008
Bangkok POST REPORTERS
Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama yesterday released the new map of the Preah Vihear temple compound, claiming success as Thailand had avoided losing any land to Cambodia.
However, scholars and critics still have doubts over whether the map would put Thailand at a disadvantage if the countries need to negotiate on an overlapping area along the border in the future.
The map was redrawn by Phnom Penh as part of a bid to nominate the ancient Hindu temple as a World Heritage site.
In a bid to alleviate concerns, Mr Noppadon said the new map was not the same as the earlier version, drawn up in 2006 and 2007, which caused a conflict over an overlapping area of 4.6 square kilometres at the border between Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province.
The Foreign Ministry had opposed the old map and protested against Phnom Penh's solo bid to have Preah Vihear listed as a World Heritage site with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). The agency agreed to delay its consideration until this year. Mr Noppadon said he decided to hold talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An in Cambodia's Koh Kong province and Paris to convince Phnom Penh to redraw the map. Cambodia eventually agreed in May not to touch the overlapping land.
''If we had not handled it this way, Thailand would have risked losing some of its area,'' Mr Noppadon said after a ceremony to sign a joint statement supporting the new map with Sok An.
The National Security Council and the cabinet earlier approved the statement after the Royal Thai Survey Department inspected Preah Vihear and surrounding areas from June 9 to 11.
Royal Thai Survey Department chief Lt-Gen Daen Michuat said the temple and adjacent areas are between three and 30 metres from the Thai border.
This approval paves the way for Preah Vihear to be considered for listing by the World Heritage Site Committee between July 2 and 10 in Quebec, Canada.
Mr Noppadon said the government would hold further talks with Cambodia to solve the disputed area of 4.6 sq km of land. The two countries are required to inform Unesco of the outcome of the negotiations by 2010.
However, M.L.Walwipha Charoonroj, of Thammasat University's Thai Khadi Research Institute, urged civic groups to send a protest letter to Unesco.
Though the new map excludes the overlapping land, she said the Thai government should not rush to certify it because this may cause legal complications when the two countries negotiate on the disputed land in the future.
Former charter drafter Chuchai Supawong suggested senators petition the Constitution Court to look into the issue because the approval of the Cambodian map may violate the constitution.
Article 190 says any decisions which could affect Thai national sovereignty must be considered by parliament.
However, scholars and critics still have doubts over whether the map would put Thailand at a disadvantage if the countries need to negotiate on an overlapping area along the border in the future.
The map was redrawn by Phnom Penh as part of a bid to nominate the ancient Hindu temple as a World Heritage site.
In a bid to alleviate concerns, Mr Noppadon said the new map was not the same as the earlier version, drawn up in 2006 and 2007, which caused a conflict over an overlapping area of 4.6 square kilometres at the border between Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province.
The Foreign Ministry had opposed the old map and protested against Phnom Penh's solo bid to have Preah Vihear listed as a World Heritage site with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). The agency agreed to delay its consideration until this year. Mr Noppadon said he decided to hold talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An in Cambodia's Koh Kong province and Paris to convince Phnom Penh to redraw the map. Cambodia eventually agreed in May not to touch the overlapping land.
''If we had not handled it this way, Thailand would have risked losing some of its area,'' Mr Noppadon said after a ceremony to sign a joint statement supporting the new map with Sok An.
The National Security Council and the cabinet earlier approved the statement after the Royal Thai Survey Department inspected Preah Vihear and surrounding areas from June 9 to 11.
Royal Thai Survey Department chief Lt-Gen Daen Michuat said the temple and adjacent areas are between three and 30 metres from the Thai border.
This approval paves the way for Preah Vihear to be considered for listing by the World Heritage Site Committee between July 2 and 10 in Quebec, Canada.
Mr Noppadon said the government would hold further talks with Cambodia to solve the disputed area of 4.6 sq km of land. The two countries are required to inform Unesco of the outcome of the negotiations by 2010.
However, M.L.Walwipha Charoonroj, of Thammasat University's Thai Khadi Research Institute, urged civic groups to send a protest letter to Unesco.
Though the new map excludes the overlapping land, she said the Thai government should not rush to certify it because this may cause legal complications when the two countries negotiate on the disputed land in the future.
Former charter drafter Chuchai Supawong suggested senators petition the Constitution Court to look into the issue because the approval of the Cambodian map may violate the constitution.
Article 190 says any decisions which could affect Thai national sovereignty must be considered by parliament.
4 comments:
ABSOLUTLEY YES, MY DEAR SOCHEATA ,
WE LOSE EVRYTHING WITH AH CHHCHOUT UNEDUCATED HUN SEN.
Khmer can't lost land to Khmer, Mee Jkout (Socheata).
hello, this is just the temple, and the other disputed land is another issue altogether. please know the distinction and do not mix the two, temple and overlapping land issue together as the pad are already confused about the two things.
from cambodia perspective, there is no dispute as the area are already ruled for cambodia 46 years ago. but for ah siem, it is a their problem as they did not agree with the court since then, even the court did give them 10 years to find new evidence or excuses against cambodia. and they failed then and will again when cambodia rise up as a nation to take them back to court for the final time. cambodia will not give up our land that easily to the thieve like the gangsters pad and black clad or whatever.
look, they don't even agree with their authority, how could they agree with the world court ruling, even after the statue of limitation expired. continue to stand firm, cambodia! law will prevail. god bless cambodia.
Just remember my Cambodian people…in 1962 the International Court of Justice ruled that the Preah Vihear and land around that area away to the Thais border belongs to Cambodia and we will not allow the Thais thieves (PAD) to steal that away from us. They steal so much land from us already in the past, so we cannot allow that to happen anymore. The United Nation Community should and will step in to find justice for Cambodia this time and ask France to deliver the old map that righteously belong to Cambodia. Bring out the “old map” France!!! The Thais have stolen so much from Cambodia, not just land, ancient valuable artifacts, some of Cambodian famous movies, and right now, they even try to claim that our true Cambodian cultural/traditional outfits and dances are theirs. Look no further, they are copying our true Cambodian cultural/traditional/ancient architecture styles right now. They copy everything that we have and do since ancients time and make it their own (what a copy-cat they are)!! What is Thais land right now was Cambodia land yesterday, so don’t forget that!!! Stand united, strong and proud Cambodian. God will be on our side. United Nation Community please help and find justice for Cambodia.
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