The Editor
The Phnom Penh Post
888 Buidling F, 8th Floor
Phnom Penh Center
Corner Sothearos & Sihanouk Blv
Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Dear Editor:
My attention has been drawn to your reporting of events concerning the temple of Preah Vihear over the past week. I notice that your reporters have referred to Preah Vihear as being “a disputed 11th century Hindu monument”.
May I point out that the temple of Preah Vihear is not a “Hindu monument” but a Khmer sanctuary, built by Khmer kings and dedicated to Shiva the Hindu god. Indeed, construction of the temple was began under the rule of the Khmer king Jasovarman I (889-910 AD) and completed during the rule of one of his successors, king Suryavarman II (1113-1145).
It should be understood that for past Khmer kings, a sanctuary was first and foremost a cosmological recreation. Thus, the construction of Khmer sanctuaries in the form of multi-tiered Pyramids meant that the place was considered a sacred cosmic mountain. This was particularly noticeable in the temples dedicated to Shiva, because of the association with the god’s mountain home –Mount Kailasa-. A mountain or a cliff top location, as in the case of Preah Vihear, was always the first choice for the Khmer architects building these major temples.
The fact that Preah Vihear is a Khmer sanctuary and not a “Hindu monument” has been extensively acknowledged by most experts in Khmer architecture including in such books published in Thailand by Thai authors like Professor S. Siribhadra of Silpakorn University in Bangkok in 1992, Dr. Dhida Saraya in 1994 and by the Italian author Vittorio Roveda in 2000.
There is no dispute over the temple itself but rather over surrounding land that is claimed by both Cambodia and Thailand. The temple has always been Khmer, except for a period when it was occupied by Siam from 1431 to 1907. In 1431, under the reign of the Siamese king Chao Saam Phraya (Boromrajadhiraj II) who ruled from 1424 to 1448, in what is known as the Ayutthaya period of Siamese (Thai) history, the armies of Siam defeated the Khmer armies and forced the evacuation of Angkor and the capital of the Khmer Empire was moved to Oudong and then to Phnom Penh. The Siamese armies occupied Battambang, Sisophon, Siemreap-Angkor as well as Preah Vihear and they were annexed into Siam.
On March 23, 1907, king Chulalongkorn (Rama V) signed the Franco-Siamese boundary treaty with the President of France, by which Siam agreed to return Battambang, Sisophon, Siemreap-Angkor as well as Preah Vihear to Cambodia, under French protectorate, in exchange for Chantaburi, Trat and the land of Dan Sai in Loei province of today’s Thailand.
According to the American scholar Lawrence Palmer Briggs and to other French scholars, Siam had made no attempt to colonize the provinces or to convert its citizens into Siamese subjects. Indeed, during the whole period of Siamese suzerainty this region was the hereditary fief of a Cambodian family and was ruled according to Cambodian customs and few could speak the Siamese language, using always Khmer to communicate.
Thailand took advantage of the Second World War to regain part of the territory that it had previously returned to Cambodia, under French protectorate. However, we the defeat of the Japanese and the end of hostilities French authority was restored in Indochina and in 1946 by the treaty of Washington, Thailand ceded the border provinces back once again.
In 1953, when King Norodom Sihanouk obtained full independence for Cambodia and refused to join the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), Thailand, under the pretext to strengthen its border, established a police post in the Dangrek mountain range, just north of Preah Vihear temple and hoisted the Thai flag over the temple and expelled the Cambodian officials posted to the temple by the Royal Cambodian government.
Cambodia sent several diplomatic notes to Thailand seeking a negotiated solution of the problem but Thailand did not reply until August 1958 when negotiations were held in Bangkok but ended in failure.
At that time, in a gesture to keep the friendship between the two countries, Cambodia proposed two solutions to Thailand: a) the joint administration of the Khmer sanctuary and b) that the matter be referred to the International Court of Justice.
As Thailand did not reply to the Cambodian proposal, in October 1959, King Norodom Sihanouk decided to bring the matter to the International Court of Justice for adjudication.
Commenting on Cambodia’s decision to take the case to the ICJ, the leading Bangkok newspaper “Siam Rath” editorialised as follows:
“If Cambodia has taken this matter to the ICJ, we cannot prevent her from doing so. It is her right to do it. She is in her right because the ICJ is an organ of the United Nations having the mission of peacefully settling differences between its members… As for the Thai government, faced with this correct attitude on the part of the Cambodian government, it should accept it in a friendly spirit and with the honesty worthy of a member of the United Nations”.
On June 15th 1962, the judgment of the ICJ was announced. By nine votes in favour and three against, it held that Preah Vihear was under the sovereignty of Cambodia. The ICJ urged Thailand to immediately withdraw any military, police and any other guards or keepers from the site.
Thailand was disappointed by the ICJ’s judgment. It withdrew its Ambassador from France and its delegations from the SEATO Council and the Geneva Conference on Laos, in protest to what it felt was the “uncooperative behaviour of some of its SEATO allies”, members also of the ICJ, and which had voted for Cambodia.
The Thai Foreign Minister at the time, Mr Thanat Khoman, rejected the ICJ ruling of behalf of the Thai government and wrote to U Thant, the UN Secretary General, expressing his government reservations but providing no new legal argument which would back up the Thai government’s reservations.
Furthermore, and I think this is of fundamental importance, he attached to his letter to U Thant, a map in which it was clearly stated: ”The map representing the area where the Temple of Preah Vihear (Pra Viharn in Thai language) is situated, over which Thailand has relinquished her sovereignty”.
I fear that by continuing to refer to Preah Vihear as a “disputed 11th century Hindu monument”, your esteemed newspaper is contributing to the misunderstanding existing over the sovereignty of the temple which has always been a Khmer temple, built by Khmer rulers in honour of a Hindu god.
Yours sincerely,
Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres
Official Biographer of HM the King Father
Samdech Preah Upayuvareach Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia
Research Fellow, Monash University’s Asia Institute
May I point out that the temple of Preah Vihear is not a “Hindu monument” but a Khmer sanctuary, built by Khmer kings and dedicated to Shiva the Hindu god. Indeed, construction of the temple was began under the rule of the Khmer king Jasovarman I (889-910 AD) and completed during the rule of one of his successors, king Suryavarman II (1113-1145).
It should be understood that for past Khmer kings, a sanctuary was first and foremost a cosmological recreation. Thus, the construction of Khmer sanctuaries in the form of multi-tiered Pyramids meant that the place was considered a sacred cosmic mountain. This was particularly noticeable in the temples dedicated to Shiva, because of the association with the god’s mountain home –Mount Kailasa-. A mountain or a cliff top location, as in the case of Preah Vihear, was always the first choice for the Khmer architects building these major temples.
The fact that Preah Vihear is a Khmer sanctuary and not a “Hindu monument” has been extensively acknowledged by most experts in Khmer architecture including in such books published in Thailand by Thai authors like Professor S. Siribhadra of Silpakorn University in Bangkok in 1992, Dr. Dhida Saraya in 1994 and by the Italian author Vittorio Roveda in 2000.
There is no dispute over the temple itself but rather over surrounding land that is claimed by both Cambodia and Thailand. The temple has always been Khmer, except for a period when it was occupied by Siam from 1431 to 1907. In 1431, under the reign of the Siamese king Chao Saam Phraya (Boromrajadhiraj II) who ruled from 1424 to 1448, in what is known as the Ayutthaya period of Siamese (Thai) history, the armies of Siam defeated the Khmer armies and forced the evacuation of Angkor and the capital of the Khmer Empire was moved to Oudong and then to Phnom Penh. The Siamese armies occupied Battambang, Sisophon, Siemreap-Angkor as well as Preah Vihear and they were annexed into Siam.
On March 23, 1907, king Chulalongkorn (Rama V) signed the Franco-Siamese boundary treaty with the President of France, by which Siam agreed to return Battambang, Sisophon, Siemreap-Angkor as well as Preah Vihear to Cambodia, under French protectorate, in exchange for Chantaburi, Trat and the land of Dan Sai in Loei province of today’s Thailand.
According to the American scholar Lawrence Palmer Briggs and to other French scholars, Siam had made no attempt to colonize the provinces or to convert its citizens into Siamese subjects. Indeed, during the whole period of Siamese suzerainty this region was the hereditary fief of a Cambodian family and was ruled according to Cambodian customs and few could speak the Siamese language, using always Khmer to communicate.
Thailand took advantage of the Second World War to regain part of the territory that it had previously returned to Cambodia, under French protectorate. However, we the defeat of the Japanese and the end of hostilities French authority was restored in Indochina and in 1946 by the treaty of Washington, Thailand ceded the border provinces back once again.
In 1953, when King Norodom Sihanouk obtained full independence for Cambodia and refused to join the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), Thailand, under the pretext to strengthen its border, established a police post in the Dangrek mountain range, just north of Preah Vihear temple and hoisted the Thai flag over the temple and expelled the Cambodian officials posted to the temple by the Royal Cambodian government.
Cambodia sent several diplomatic notes to Thailand seeking a negotiated solution of the problem but Thailand did not reply until August 1958 when negotiations were held in Bangkok but ended in failure.
At that time, in a gesture to keep the friendship between the two countries, Cambodia proposed two solutions to Thailand: a) the joint administration of the Khmer sanctuary and b) that the matter be referred to the International Court of Justice.
As Thailand did not reply to the Cambodian proposal, in October 1959, King Norodom Sihanouk decided to bring the matter to the International Court of Justice for adjudication.
Commenting on Cambodia’s decision to take the case to the ICJ, the leading Bangkok newspaper “Siam Rath” editorialised as follows:
“If Cambodia has taken this matter to the ICJ, we cannot prevent her from doing so. It is her right to do it. She is in her right because the ICJ is an organ of the United Nations having the mission of peacefully settling differences between its members… As for the Thai government, faced with this correct attitude on the part of the Cambodian government, it should accept it in a friendly spirit and with the honesty worthy of a member of the United Nations”.
On June 15th 1962, the judgment of the ICJ was announced. By nine votes in favour and three against, it held that Preah Vihear was under the sovereignty of Cambodia. The ICJ urged Thailand to immediately withdraw any military, police and any other guards or keepers from the site.
Thailand was disappointed by the ICJ’s judgment. It withdrew its Ambassador from France and its delegations from the SEATO Council and the Geneva Conference on Laos, in protest to what it felt was the “uncooperative behaviour of some of its SEATO allies”, members also of the ICJ, and which had voted for Cambodia.
The Thai Foreign Minister at the time, Mr Thanat Khoman, rejected the ICJ ruling of behalf of the Thai government and wrote to U Thant, the UN Secretary General, expressing his government reservations but providing no new legal argument which would back up the Thai government’s reservations.
Furthermore, and I think this is of fundamental importance, he attached to his letter to U Thant, a map in which it was clearly stated: ”The map representing the area where the Temple of Preah Vihear (Pra Viharn in Thai language) is situated, over which Thailand has relinquished her sovereignty”.
I fear that by continuing to refer to Preah Vihear as a “disputed 11th century Hindu monument”, your esteemed newspaper is contributing to the misunderstanding existing over the sovereignty of the temple which has always been a Khmer temple, built by Khmer rulers in honour of a Hindu god.
Yours sincerely,
Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres
Official Biographer of HM the King Father
Samdech Preah Upayuvareach Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia
Research Fellow, Monash University’s Asia Institute
26 comments:
A good letter to PPP. You are no Khmer race but I praise you that you are a good researcher who has a good judgement. Not like some researches from famouse Siem universities.
Regards
Now we Khmer people understand more about this. Thank you very much Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres.
Thank you very much for that clarifiation. Hoping it helps those who remain unclear.
Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres,
We highly appreciate your effort in making clear the history of Prasat Preah Vihear.
Khmers of younger generation know very little about Cambodia and her history, as during the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia they did not have the chance to research the history. The real history of Cambodia was allowed for education even in high-school. And, they can just know some of Cambodia's history from their parents or elderly people. So, their national ideology is not very strong.
We hope you will contribute more of your research to our Khmers.
Regards,
What a wonderful letter.
Thanks for the clarification.
I was very disturbed by the label. Many foriegn journalists and news media called Khmer temple Hindu temple. Very ignorant. These people are lack of research and understanding of Khmer history
2:09 PM
brother, all that reporters and press know the fact but they avoid to use the word KHMER or Cambodia. If they use this word, sure it belong to Cambodia
The Thai people revered His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej like God and the Khmer people also revered His Majesty Baromneath Norodom Sihamoni.
The royalty of Thailand and Cambodia help their subjects in the provinces throughout their respective country.
The Thai royals and the Khmer royals use the same "Rajasapt"
They speak the same language and mutually intelligible.
Her Royal Highness Somdej Phra Thep help build a school name Kampong Cheu Teal in Kampong Thom province to help strengthen ties between the two Kingdoms. And on His Majesty Bhumibol's 60th anniversary of his ascension to the throne last year, Somdej Phra Thep personally flew to Phnom Penh to invite His Majesty Sihamoni to attend the celebration.
Peace and regional stability is the sure way to progress and happiness.
Because Thai culture is so much similar to the Khmers, we are like brothers and sisters.
Cambodia and Thailand are the only two countries in the world that use the same numeral symbols.
Since His Majesty King Chulalongkorn signed a legitimate treaty with France in 1904-07, the boundary line should be left as is for the sake of regional peace.
Thailand's claim of 4.6 km2 beyond the agreed line to the Cambodia side should be countered with another 4.6 km2 to the Thailand side of Si Saket. With a combine total of 9 km2, we then can jointly list this area as a World Heritage Site and call it as Preah Vihear/Phra Viharn National Park.
Establishing this 9 km2 national park zone is to honour King Rama IX. Our wound of 1962 will become our harmonious fraternity of 2008!
The main argument all along was about joint management of the area, and we will jointly manage and reap the benefits for both Thailand and Cambodia.
Srivijay Vichitrmontri
2:48 PM,
you know when she (Her Royal Highness Somdej Phra Thep) visited historical places in Cambodia, after she returned, some cultural object were stolen from that sites from her order.
fuck Her Royal Highness Somdej Phra Thep
I agree with 2:48 PM Srivijay Vichitrmontri. Resolving this in a peaceful way is always good for both countries. I very much dislike the warmakers. Its very easy to make war than to have peace, soldiers are what seperate the boys from the men, but if one makes peace that will surely seperate the men from the Kings.
That's quite an accusation, frankly i don't buy it. 2:48 made a good suggestion i think at first glance, to jointly maintain a 4.6 km of Khmer land we must also jointly managed 4.6 km of Thai territory. But then he claims this should be done in honour of RAMA his king. We Khmer will never dedicate our heritage to the the honours of Thai Kings who for centuries goal is to take and conceal the truth behind these monuments.
It is a good idea, except on the other side you already have a park, so i doubt there will be joint management, its just adding Khmer territory to your existing Khao Prah Viharn park. Preah Vihear won't accept that, ultimately it will be Thai controlled, Thai business and Thai profit and in honour of Thai King. That is no good deal.
Keep on going though, your suggestion may be on right track to reconciliation, if they are genuine. We will tell you what is doable and not.
What a great and faire letter from
Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres!
There are alot explanation which i my self khmer do not know,
Thank a big lot
Please pay respect to the monarchy no matter it is Khmer or Thai monachy.
Thank
Dear Compatriots and other foreign Friends,
I am afraid if after Election our government (Win) forget to talk with Siem/// and if talks continue it will slow down and become quiet.... and later on we will call Siems as OUR BROTHER THAI...
as of our BROTHER VIET... as an exchange to personal Benefits... Party Benefits ...
I am deeply afraid if we will be made to forget this Conflict and SIEM WILL BECOME OUR GREAT BROTHER......
We learned our history is something like this.....
In addition, If we continue to strugle against Siem we are still weak in term of Finances, Human resources, military Stength and Mentality/Morality due to some decades of civil wars...especially National Unity have been lost for long time and producing national unmoral.. evry body just thinks about himself this the behaviour from the Top.."Gestion viens de haut.." our top officials are so greed... the Gape between Poor and Rich is high... this mahes we lost nationalism...
Our poor former Khmer Rouges soldiers and government soldiers mostly are confident that are still strong due to their experience in Fighting of Decates(civil wars)... BUT please note that we were strong with ours, with our Khmers...Civil Wars.. But in case the war happen this the WAR Between Country and Country...far different from the past...I think Siem has forecasted very clearly prior to fabricating this tense situation... he learaned alot about Khmers especially the Khmer Leaders.."
Briefly, I hope after Election when the onme is in full power we give up our strugle....
Excellency Achar Knoy= Phd Bandit General=
Dear Srivijay Vichitrmontri(Mr. 2:48PM),
You case is unacceptable for us and for any nation...
Benefit is benefit/interesdt BUT Sovereignty is Sovereignty... Any antion can share interests But never share theirown land....
Siem is a Buhist nation I surprise the Siem Monks Come to plant the Siem Flag on the top of temple... by violating the border linr rule it means greed... violent... did Budha advice Siem to do like this(Greed.. war..) ??
Achar Knoy
Many thanks to Lauk Jeldres,
Great job for Cambodia & its People.
Cheers,
Bun H.Ung
Sacravatoons
PREASH VIHEAR, is purely Khmer King Build !
THAI SAID THE STAIR GO BY THEIR LAND THUS PREASH VIHEAR THEIR MONUMENT BUILT BY THEIR KING ! IT IS TOTALY NOT RIGHT !
By Dr. Sam
Dear Friend
if you read the Book of Singapore and Malaysian History,
You can see WHO IS SIEM, WHO IS THAI you will see that Preash Vihear is real Khmer King Build it.
They said, '' At first Thai living as a tribes farming in the hilly country of South-western China. When China expansion, they gathered in one place called NANCHAO, CAPITAL TALI, IN Yunan province, China. When China take their land back they looking elwhere for place to live , they go down the Menan and mekong , search for good land. During Mogolia invaded, Nanchao, in the year 1253, Thai tribe were move to the south for safe place from mogolia, KUBLAI KHAN.
When The KUBLAI KHAN armies sent across Khmer Empire to fight Champa, the Siem take this opportunity they attack the Khmer land that benong to Cambodia. Finally in the year 1431 they attach angkor and the Khmer lost Angkor, the King of the Mountain, or Angkor Dynasty were lost since that time that King Phnear Yat, Move to the Kingdom to Phnom Penh, oudong, lovek, vihear sour to day.
Thus the history show that the Great Khmer King JASOVARMAN , who built The TEMPLE there is no THAI at all. They just set up the first city at SOKHORTHAI when our governnor in that time could not control.
some Cambodian history expert said there are no Mongolia, but the real history of SRIVIYAY, the Ex. Malaysia and Indonesia recorded it as MONGOLIA also invaded KHMER EMPIRE.
They are recognised that the KING OF THE MAOUNTAIN, some family was flet to YAVA, in Indonesia today, and the people in JAVA and SRIVIJIYA, give them the king of their kingdom. Now SRI VIJAY, the Combined of Malaysia and Indonesia. You can go to see the temple in BALI,and others palce have the same our style of Angkor.
Now when we are in the runing of the election they chose the strategies to take our land, they things we are not good united then they can win but they do not know clear our policy that under the system of King and HUN SEN...etc.
Now we have to STAY FIRM, HUN SEN YOU MUST NOT GIVE ANY LAND TO SIEM.
Thailand needs to learn how to accept the reality.
We (Khmer) already not ask Thai the return of our provinces.
So many time with international support the Cambodian, Thai needs to take this under good friendship with Cambodia.
Once again, Now the secretary-general of ASEAN is Thai (Surin Pitsuvan) it is tough for Cambodian to go through them so, we must address this to the UN.
It is very shameful that the UN didn't take this seriously and only advised us to work bilateral with Thai. But working with Thai didn't work that's why we went direct to UN.
Look at this quote below:
At that time, in a gesture to keep the friendship between the two countries, Cambodia proposed two solutions to Thailand: a) the joint administration of the Khmer sanctuary and b) that the matter be referred to the International Court of Justice.
As Thailand did not reply to the Cambodian proposal, in October 1959, King Norodom Sihanouk decided to bring the matter to the International Court of Justice for adjudication.
They behave wisely not to eccept the Cambodian proposal before and now they doing it again.
We offer a negotiation with them with plans A and B but they ignore and not reply to us. I am really amaze that Cambodia been acting professionally.
Now it is HUN SEN must stand strong in this matter.
We will win!!!!!!!!!!again!!
The Siam will look terribly shameful.
Khmer united Khmer strong.
4:21 PM
Fact is The Thai monk just entered the 4.6 km2 area not the temple area and with no flag.
True, the Thai needs to accept the reality.
Everyone in the world already knew that include Thailand in present was belong to Khmer.
Thai needs to deal with this.
Because Cambodia has been dealing with the losts so many already.
Khmer Pride,
I am proud to be Khmer!!
IF THAIS DO NOT ACCEPT WHAT ITS PAST OGVERNMENT AGREED TO. WHATELSE WILL THEY RESPECT. TODAY THIS GOV"T WANTS THIS ZONE, WHO KNOWS WHAT ITS NEXT GOV'T WANTS. THIS ISSUE MUST BE DEALT WITH NOW ONCE AND FOR ALL. THAIS CANNOT BE TRUSTED, EVER...
Dear Mr. Ambassador Jeldres,
Many of us cann't say or express our deepest concern and love of our own Great Preah Vihear to reach the audiences across the world. It would be almost impossible for us to write in English as well as you do. So that the world too would know the fact about Preah Vihear. You may not be born Cambodian, but you're certainly one of us. We greatly appreciate your time your kindness and your understanding more than you'll ever ever know...
From the buttom of our hearts,
Ordinary Khmers
With a high education and very knowledgeable like His Excellency Jeldres, as a Kaun Khmer new generation I would not hesitate to support His Excellency to be the next Prime Minister of Cambodia.
Go Your Excellency! You get my vote.
Very enlightening letter, I wish the Thai read it. There is no substance to their claim.
But I would urge some of the posters here to not say 'Khmer race' because the Khmer are not a race but a people or a nation. It may interest you that Khmer, Thai, Burma, Laos, Malaysia, and Indonesia are part of the same ethnic group descending from Polynesians. Nowadays, of course, you have a lot of Chinese mixed in so it is very hard to find pure-blooded Khmer.
Khmer can smell that eventhough the Thai not agree to go to the UN but we already winning this matter.
Thanks to His Excellency Jeldres!!
10:54PM are you crazy or what? There is noting, about pure-bloode in this modern world! No nations in the world can still have pure-blood even you are a dog!
thank you ambassador jeldres for sharing your understanding and the truth about cambodia's preah vihear. cambodia needs everyone to help to educate not only thai people but the world as well about the truth of preah vihear. yes, i agree that the media in bangkok often biased in tone when they write about preah vihear by saying that it is a "disputed temple". dispute was settled by the icj verdict in 1962 already, so, to educate them not to use the word "dispute temple" again as it is not disputed in accordance to the icj verdict already. and also, it is not just a "hindu temple" like they write, it's a "khmer-built hindu temple" is more correct. again, thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world. god bless you and cambodia.
Khmer is our own word or vocabulary representing our people in our Nation Cambodia. Where were you 10:54p.m? ( of course everybody had mixed background ). If I have my car with a license plate sayiny" KHMER " you'd better know what it is and by all mean respecting it 100%.
Also if someone calls you Ah Khmer Angkor! Please don't get mad, get glad and thank them instead. Have a great day! You're the bestest!!!:)
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