By Anucha Charoenpo
Bangkok Post
Academics yesterday urged the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to stop politicising the Preah Vihear temple issue, effectively backing the government stand on the issue.
They said it has provoked nationalism that may sour relations between Thailand and Cambodia.
Suthachai Yimprasert, an historian from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Arts, warned of nasty consequences from the PAD attacking the People Power party-led government over the issue.
"The Preah Vihear issue isn't related to local politics. Don't try to politicise it and stir up public hatred of the government. That's not right," said the historian, who added that nationalism is hard to control and dangerous.
Mr Suthachai said the PAD's core leaders realised the Preah Vihear issue gave momentum to the rallies which started on May 25.
But politicising the issue also put the relationship between Thailand and Cambodia in jeopardy, he added.
The PAD's core leaders have challenged the decision of the Samak Sundaravej government to endorse Cambodia's bid to register the Hindu temple as a World Heritage site. They are suspicious that the move would benefit former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is planning a huge investment deal with the Cambodian government.
The PAD leaders claim that endorsing the Cambodian bid to have the temple listed would destroy any chance Thailand had of reclaiming the temple ruins from Cambodia in the future.
However, Mr Suthachai said he has closely monitored the issue and found "nothing irregular" with Thailand's decision to back Cambodia as it is the real owner of the temple following the International Court of Justice's ruling in 1962.
He did not think Thailand would lose any territory, especially in the 4.6 square kilometres of overlapping land, adding that the Survey Department and the army did not object to the new map, an indication that no territory was lost.
They said it has provoked nationalism that may sour relations between Thailand and Cambodia.
Suthachai Yimprasert, an historian from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Arts, warned of nasty consequences from the PAD attacking the People Power party-led government over the issue.
"The Preah Vihear issue isn't related to local politics. Don't try to politicise it and stir up public hatred of the government. That's not right," said the historian, who added that nationalism is hard to control and dangerous.
Mr Suthachai said the PAD's core leaders realised the Preah Vihear issue gave momentum to the rallies which started on May 25.
But politicising the issue also put the relationship between Thailand and Cambodia in jeopardy, he added.
The PAD's core leaders have challenged the decision of the Samak Sundaravej government to endorse Cambodia's bid to register the Hindu temple as a World Heritage site. They are suspicious that the move would benefit former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is planning a huge investment deal with the Cambodian government.
The PAD leaders claim that endorsing the Cambodian bid to have the temple listed would destroy any chance Thailand had of reclaiming the temple ruins from Cambodia in the future.
However, Mr Suthachai said he has closely monitored the issue and found "nothing irregular" with Thailand's decision to back Cambodia as it is the real owner of the temple following the International Court of Justice's ruling in 1962.
He did not think Thailand would lose any territory, especially in the 4.6 square kilometres of overlapping land, adding that the Survey Department and the army did not object to the new map, an indication that no territory was lost.
10 comments:
How come the Hun Sen government has been so quiet?
It's better for him to stay quiet for when he open his mouth it's only stupidity that comes out.
Don't worry Siam we remember everything we just wait for the right time to pay you back.
... and I'm in agreement with you that it's better for him to stay quiet for when he opens his mouth it's only stupidity that comes out, and it comes out obnoxiously that any mosquito flies around him would drop dead. So it's good really when he learns to shut his loud mouth.
I agree with Thais academic call to all politicians not to use nationalism to promote their gains by damaging relationship between Cambodia and Thailand. Thailand is indeed a descend of Cambodian as Thailand has estlished herself within Cambodia territory in 1238. Therefore Cambodia and Thaland should stay as friendly as we can. Preah Vihear is an undisputable of Cambodia as this Nation has establish more than 10 centuries before Thailand and was the ancestor of Thailand. Areak Prey
Good job Mr Suthachai. Try to explain your people clearly about this issue. Cambodian site will not quiet about your action.
A good move for Cambodian authority to close the border temporary. In the past Thai closed this gate without permission with Cambodian government. Who lost from this? not Khmer at all
កំណាព្យប្រដៅសៀម
នែ៎!សៀមឈាមថោក គំនិតស្មោកគ្រោក លោភលន់ឥតខ្មាស់ ព្រះវិហារនេះណា ពិតខ្មែរជាម្ចាស់ សកលជ្រាបច្បាស់ គ្រប់ទីគ្រប់ឋាន។
នែ៎!សៀមចង្រៃ កុំដេកស្រមៃ អោយហួសក្តីស្មាន ព្រះវិហាររបស់ខ្មែរ ឥតប្រកែកបាន តុលាការបាន កាត់ក្ដីរួចហើយ។
នែ៎!សៀមទុរយស ទៅផ្ទះវិញចុះ កុំនៅកន្តើយ បើចង់សុខខ្លួន ចេញកុំងាកក្រោយ យើងប្រាប់អោយហើយ នេះការព្រមាន៕
និពន្ធដោយ
Khmer Students Association in Germany
Yes, and don't forget to tell Ah Scam rainxy the same thing, professor.
Don't ever forget that there a bunch of educated Khmer people in Thailand. When the opportunity given they will rise up and break away forming their own country as (Khmer Loeu)...
yes, i, too, am often agree with the academia as well. congratulations for telling the truth, professor. i agree that authority do most of the times know more that the ordinary people, that is why they called government because gov't are the authority. so, when something like this is happening like the pad thugs who obviously politicising the issue as they are anti-thai gov't, i'm not surprised a bit. yes, your thai gov't should stand firm on your gov't decision to be fair and reasonable to everybody on both sides. cambodia has not done anything wrong in regards to preah vihear listing. we did what the thai gov't asked us to do, diplomatically already. so, your protesters are really blowing the issue out of proportion and wanted to sour both sides who i think tried to work hard to mend fences so that both people are able to live peacefully side-by-side. after all, the two people of khmer and siem are eternal neighbors, aren't we? so, let cambodia do our own business of listing preah vihear and if your gov't think we violated the so-called dispute area which still need further diplomatic works on it, then that can be dealt with in a later date. but for now, preah vihear is a cambbodia's affairs only and tell your countrymen not to mix the two things up, i.e. the temple (which is not thailand) and the so-called disputed area of 4.6 km2 which need further works. that's all.
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