PREAH VIHEAR: The temple of gloom
June 24, 2008
The Nation (Thailand)
Cambodia's Unesco document may add fuel to the fire
Thailand's "active support" for the proposed inscription of Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage site is strongly highlighted in both words and pictures in Cambodia's main application document to Unesco.
The document, a copy of which was received yesterday by The Nation, features photos of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama engaged in bilateral activities proclaimed to be progress towards reconciliation after decades of territorial dispute.
Disclosure of the document is likely to inflame the ongoing controversy, in which the besieged Samak government is accused of bypassing Parliament and the public alike in making crucial moves that carry possible effects on national sovereignty.
The document's key sections include Cambodia's insistence that the temple is under its sovereignty, the temple's cultural and historical value, international support for the temple's inscription and Thailand's virtual support for the nomination.
Whereas the controversy has centred on a joint communique between Thailand and Cambodia signed by Noppadon, the application document is likely to galvanise critics accusing the Samak government of either being naive and exploited by Phnom Penh or conspiring with the neighbouring government in exchange for political vested interests.
While critics have said the joint communique would put Thailand at a legal disadvantage if new territorial disputes arose in the area, the application document to Unesco could be perceived by some as a diplomatic embarrassment for Bangkok.
The Unesco document devotes considerable space to Cambodia's legal victory over Thailand in the International Court of Justice, detailing the court's rulings on why the contentious temple belongs to Cambodia. Then, only a few pages apart, the document goes on to highlight Thailand's "active support" for inscription.
Samak, whose photo taken during a visit to Phnom Penh in March was played up in the document, was cited as "confirming" Thailand's intention to support the inscription, as was Noppadon, whose photo was also given prominence in the document.
The Preah Vihear controversy will place the Samak government under fire in Parliament today, as the opposition Democrats are set to grill the decision virtually to give up Thailand's long-lasting sovereignty claims, which persisted even after the world court's ruling.
Key points in today's debate will likely include questions on whether the Samak government violated the Constitution in supporting the World Heritage-site push without consulting Parliament and whether it instead should have, for the inscription's sake, proposed a joint effort in which Thailand and Cambodia approached Unesco on more equal grounds.
Thailand's "active support" for the proposed inscription of Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage site is strongly highlighted in both words and pictures in Cambodia's main application document to Unesco.
The document, a copy of which was received yesterday by The Nation, features photos of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama engaged in bilateral activities proclaimed to be progress towards reconciliation after decades of territorial dispute.
Disclosure of the document is likely to inflame the ongoing controversy, in which the besieged Samak government is accused of bypassing Parliament and the public alike in making crucial moves that carry possible effects on national sovereignty.
The document's key sections include Cambodia's insistence that the temple is under its sovereignty, the temple's cultural and historical value, international support for the temple's inscription and Thailand's virtual support for the nomination.
Whereas the controversy has centred on a joint communique between Thailand and Cambodia signed by Noppadon, the application document is likely to galvanise critics accusing the Samak government of either being naive and exploited by Phnom Penh or conspiring with the neighbouring government in exchange for political vested interests.
While critics have said the joint communique would put Thailand at a legal disadvantage if new territorial disputes arose in the area, the application document to Unesco could be perceived by some as a diplomatic embarrassment for Bangkok.
The Unesco document devotes considerable space to Cambodia's legal victory over Thailand in the International Court of Justice, detailing the court's rulings on why the contentious temple belongs to Cambodia. Then, only a few pages apart, the document goes on to highlight Thailand's "active support" for inscription.
Samak, whose photo taken during a visit to Phnom Penh in March was played up in the document, was cited as "confirming" Thailand's intention to support the inscription, as was Noppadon, whose photo was also given prominence in the document.
The Preah Vihear controversy will place the Samak government under fire in Parliament today, as the opposition Democrats are set to grill the decision virtually to give up Thailand's long-lasting sovereignty claims, which persisted even after the world court's ruling.
Key points in today's debate will likely include questions on whether the Samak government violated the Constitution in supporting the World Heritage-site push without consulting Parliament and whether it instead should have, for the inscription's sake, proposed a joint effort in which Thailand and Cambodia approached Unesco on more equal grounds.
12 comments:
Stop using my people as your slave.If you want to do any thing that your self,as HOR said that China has 1 000 000 sodiers and 1 000 000 000 000$.We people khmers ,we respect the international law.We go with Ban-ky moon.
when we know the root of these evil rulers, they look just like monkeys among foreigners.
AH SIAM you think that you smarter stronger than KHMERS , let KHMERS live in peace for about 50 year , we don't need more than 100 year like your shit country , and you start to declare war with us a gain , you will face the real war , don't pick on the kid that just learn how to walk , your peoples and your army are a coward , if you want real war now go to face with burma , you can't , you scare , you coward , burma will kick your ass all the way to BANG COCK ..
FUCK YOU AH SIAM
god bless cambodia and her beautiful khmer people and khmer heritage.
cambodia, remember action speaks louder than words. god bless cambodia.
Siem people always look down on Cambodian people because they think we're always fight one another. But, remember we're surviving people who were living under Khmer Rouge for about 5 years. We know the war and pain. So don't mess with Cambodian people. We're not afraid of Siemese even they have superior in army. We know how to fight the aggressors. If you want war, let's go to war to see who is the winner. Then we call up Thai/Cham in the South to kick your ass also.
Hanoi and Siem try to swallow us bit by bit because of our moreon leaders.
Thank, thanks and million thanks to all Khmer brothers and sisters!!
My tears come down because I am so happy to see that Khmer still have many good people like you all!!
My life for KHMERSQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
no problem, we all have to lookout for cambodia and to help our beautiful country, despite political differences. god bless cambodia and her beautiful khmer people.
2:35AM you're right We, Khmer won't ever let our Brothers & Sisters Khmer LOEU pepole down!, when we say Khmer, that means including you all dears, not Siam or Thai. As Dear 2:35AM has metioned, despite polilical leader differences but our soule is firmly attached toward you. we are Khmer periot, many of my grand parents relatives living in Boriram, Surin provinces we will reunited once again as a macga families. We are thinking about you every next day!.
May Buddha bless Khmer all!, Down to Ah Siamthai! down! down!..
i'm ready to put my life in the front line for my country.i'm half viet and khmer .no thai shall claimed anything inside cambodia
Hey 5:53 AM,
You are great man. You sounded like educated people. In the US, the same thing like you thought or idea. Back in the old day, US was receiving mass amount of new immigration from Europe. And the new people that born in the US is US citizen regardless of what origin they are they love US and care for US. Just like you said "i'm ready to put my life in the front line for my country.i'm half viet and khmer .no thai shall claimed anything inside cambodia"'
If most new vietnamese that are in Cambodia right now do the same thing like you in Cambodia I would bet you that we will live in peace forever. Because they are living in Cambodia, they should have the right or duty to protect Cambodia. Anyway, if Khmer go to war with Thai I bet you that we can handle it.
Khmer and Khmer-Thai must share the Khmer's inheritances.
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