Story by KEN KAMOCHE
FROM THE FAR EAST
Sunday Nation (Kenya)
When the good people at Unesco granted a Hindu temple on the Thai-Cambodia border World Heritage status, they probably believed they were just doing their job without fear or favour.
But that brave act to protect the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Temple now seems about to precipitate the collapse of the fledgling Thai government.
The temple lies on disputed territory. The two countries have shared hostilities since the 14th century, often targeting each other’s historical and cultural heritage sites.
Apparently tiring of military conquests, Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk decided to seek help from the International Court of Justice who proceeded to award sovereignty to Cambodia in 1962.
The then Thai dictator complied, removed his troops from the temple’s environs, and everyone assumed that was the end of the matter.
The magnificent Buddhist temple Angkor Wat only achieved World Heritage status in 1992, having barely survived the scourge of the Khmer Rouge years.
An enhanced status has helped place the site on the tourist map, although this is yet to translate into big bucks. Seeking a similar status for Preah Vihear was a strategy crafted with tourist dollars in mind. And why not?
The country is in dire need of an economic shot in the arm. The first application was made seven years ago. Thailand has consistently opposed this move even though no one was making any effort to resolve the border dispute.
And to its credit, the relevant Unesco committee has always been aware that the temple lies on disputed territory, and for that reason deferred a decision until Thailand and Cambodia made up their minds whose temple it was. Well, they haven’t.
But for some reason that still remains murky, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama decided to endorse Cambodia’s application without consulting Parliament. That was apparently good enough for Unesco, who proceeded to grant Cambodia their wish.
Prime Minister Hun Sen declared it a victory, and a “new pride for the people of Cambodia”. The celebrations that rocked the country were in stark contrast to the gloom and shock in Thailand.
Claiming that the country’s sovereignty had been compromised, Parliament passed a vote of no confidence and forced the Foreign minister out of office.
This resignation is not the only one that threatens Samak Sundaravej’s Government, but it is so far the most significant.
In May, a minister was forced to resign over allegations that he insulted the King. And more recently, the Health minister was relieved of his duties for failing to disclose his wife’s assets.
These are new developments for a country in which leadership has traditionally been characterised by impunity, just like in Kenya. Accusations of abuse of power were central to Thaksin Shinawatra’s ousting.
The Foreign minister’s unilateral actions look like a throw back to that dark era, sparking rumours of dodgy deals.
Interestingly, the current pressures on Kenyan ministers seem to mirror those of their Thai counterparts, the only difference being that the latter are much quicker at locating the exit.
Samak is having a hard time fighting accusations that he is just a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin. The elevation of Preah Vihear is now rekindling a dangerous nationalist fervour in which the regime is being seen as having sold the nation to an old enemy.
Few in Thailand have forgotten how an enraged Cambodian mob torched the Thai embassy in 2001 following rumours that some Thai actress had suggested Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand.
There is no telling how angry Thai activists might respond to the perceived loss of Preah Vihear, especially if the government is implicated by having signed it away.
But that brave act to protect the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Temple now seems about to precipitate the collapse of the fledgling Thai government.
The temple lies on disputed territory. The two countries have shared hostilities since the 14th century, often targeting each other’s historical and cultural heritage sites.
Apparently tiring of military conquests, Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk decided to seek help from the International Court of Justice who proceeded to award sovereignty to Cambodia in 1962.
The then Thai dictator complied, removed his troops from the temple’s environs, and everyone assumed that was the end of the matter.
The magnificent Buddhist temple Angkor Wat only achieved World Heritage status in 1992, having barely survived the scourge of the Khmer Rouge years.
An enhanced status has helped place the site on the tourist map, although this is yet to translate into big bucks. Seeking a similar status for Preah Vihear was a strategy crafted with tourist dollars in mind. And why not?
The country is in dire need of an economic shot in the arm. The first application was made seven years ago. Thailand has consistently opposed this move even though no one was making any effort to resolve the border dispute.
And to its credit, the relevant Unesco committee has always been aware that the temple lies on disputed territory, and for that reason deferred a decision until Thailand and Cambodia made up their minds whose temple it was. Well, they haven’t.
But for some reason that still remains murky, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama decided to endorse Cambodia’s application without consulting Parliament. That was apparently good enough for Unesco, who proceeded to grant Cambodia their wish.
Prime Minister Hun Sen declared it a victory, and a “new pride for the people of Cambodia”. The celebrations that rocked the country were in stark contrast to the gloom and shock in Thailand.
Claiming that the country’s sovereignty had been compromised, Parliament passed a vote of no confidence and forced the Foreign minister out of office.
This resignation is not the only one that threatens Samak Sundaravej’s Government, but it is so far the most significant.
In May, a minister was forced to resign over allegations that he insulted the King. And more recently, the Health minister was relieved of his duties for failing to disclose his wife’s assets.
These are new developments for a country in which leadership has traditionally been characterised by impunity, just like in Kenya. Accusations of abuse of power were central to Thaksin Shinawatra’s ousting.
The Foreign minister’s unilateral actions look like a throw back to that dark era, sparking rumours of dodgy deals.
Interestingly, the current pressures on Kenyan ministers seem to mirror those of their Thai counterparts, the only difference being that the latter are much quicker at locating the exit.
Samak is having a hard time fighting accusations that he is just a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin. The elevation of Preah Vihear is now rekindling a dangerous nationalist fervour in which the regime is being seen as having sold the nation to an old enemy.
Few in Thailand have forgotten how an enraged Cambodian mob torched the Thai embassy in 2001 following rumours that some Thai actress had suggested Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand.
There is no telling how angry Thai activists might respond to the perceived loss of Preah Vihear, especially if the government is implicated by having signed it away.
1 comment:
Cambodia leaders must give diplomacy a chance! But how can Cambodian leaders give diplomacy a chance when the Thaicong government blatantly violent Cambodian sovereignty already without giving peaceful diplomacy a chance! At the end of the day, Cambodian leaders and Cambodian people must come to term that the Thaicong government never want any Cambodian peaceful diplomacy and Cambodia must prepare for war!
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