Sunday July 06, 2008
By Manop Thip-osod & Sanoh Worarak
Bangkok Post
Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama yesterday admitted he faced an uphill task in trying to delay Cambodia's bid to get the Preah Vihear temple listed as a new World Heritage site. The minister yesterday left for Quebec, where the World Heritage Committee is holding a meeting with the listing of the temple on the agenda.
Mr Noppadon said before his departure that the Cambodian government had already lobbied many of the 21 committee members, seeking their backing to get the ancient temple listed.
But he promised to do everything he could to oppose and delay the listing by explaining to the committee about the Administrative Court's injunction against the June 17 cabinet approval of the joint communique he signed with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An one day later.
The two put their initials on the joint communique in a meeting with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) on May 22.
But it took effect only after cabinet approval and an official signing.
The communique gives Thai support to the Cambodian bid for the listing after the government approved the Cambodian map of the temple boundary, which leaves the disputed area between the two countries untouched.
Mr Noppadon told the court on Thursday that the government only followed the previous administration of former prime minister Surayud Chulanont, which he claimed had already supported the Cambodian bid.
He referred to the committee meeting in Christchurch last year.
But Nitya Pibulsonggram, the foreign minister in Gen Surayud's government, argued yesterday that at the time Thailand made it clear that it opposed a unilateral effort by Cambodia on the issue.
Pongpol Adireksarn, chairman of the Thai World Heritage Committee, confirmed the committee members were well aware of the Thai court ruling.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting in Quebec, he said many members were concerned about the impact of the issue on Thai-Cambodian relations.
The issue is expected to be discussed by the committee late tonight Thailand time.
But with problems on the Thai side, Mr Pongpol said he was hoping the panel would make Preah Vihear the last issue to be thoroughly studied and discussed.
To ensure a better understanding, he had talked with delegates from many countries, including South Korea, Morocco and the United States, who were invited by Cambodia to tour the temple, he said.
Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the court's ruling might be too late as Mr Noppadon had gone so far in binding the country with the joint communique to show Thailand's ''active support'' on the issue.
In Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district opposite the temple, about 250 protesters yesterday gathered at the stairway leading to the ancient ruins to demand the quick eviction of Cambodian souvenir sellers.
They also called for the government to put the temple issue on the national agenda, hold a public hearing on listing the temple as a World Heritage site and for the two countries to work on boundary delineation.
They vowed to hold a big rally should the government make no progress in 30 days.
Mr Noppadon said before his departure that the Cambodian government had already lobbied many of the 21 committee members, seeking their backing to get the ancient temple listed.
But he promised to do everything he could to oppose and delay the listing by explaining to the committee about the Administrative Court's injunction against the June 17 cabinet approval of the joint communique he signed with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An one day later.
The two put their initials on the joint communique in a meeting with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) on May 22.
But it took effect only after cabinet approval and an official signing.
The communique gives Thai support to the Cambodian bid for the listing after the government approved the Cambodian map of the temple boundary, which leaves the disputed area between the two countries untouched.
Mr Noppadon told the court on Thursday that the government only followed the previous administration of former prime minister Surayud Chulanont, which he claimed had already supported the Cambodian bid.
He referred to the committee meeting in Christchurch last year.
But Nitya Pibulsonggram, the foreign minister in Gen Surayud's government, argued yesterday that at the time Thailand made it clear that it opposed a unilateral effort by Cambodia on the issue.
Pongpol Adireksarn, chairman of the Thai World Heritage Committee, confirmed the committee members were well aware of the Thai court ruling.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting in Quebec, he said many members were concerned about the impact of the issue on Thai-Cambodian relations.
The issue is expected to be discussed by the committee late tonight Thailand time.
But with problems on the Thai side, Mr Pongpol said he was hoping the panel would make Preah Vihear the last issue to be thoroughly studied and discussed.
To ensure a better understanding, he had talked with delegates from many countries, including South Korea, Morocco and the United States, who were invited by Cambodia to tour the temple, he said.
Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the court's ruling might be too late as Mr Noppadon had gone so far in binding the country with the joint communique to show Thailand's ''active support'' on the issue.
In Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district opposite the temple, about 250 protesters yesterday gathered at the stairway leading to the ancient ruins to demand the quick eviction of Cambodian souvenir sellers.
They also called for the government to put the temple issue on the national agenda, hold a public hearing on listing the temple as a World Heritage site and for the two countries to work on boundary delineation.
They vowed to hold a big rally should the government make no progress in 30 days.
18 comments:
You can bring the whole Siamland at the border if it make you happy.
Nothing gonna happen!!!
What do you think that because the Siam are protesting and Cambodia will run away.
Come on please.
The people of UNESCO they listen to the truth, they don't jump around like the Siam politicians.
Yeah, but UNESCO takes bribe.
In any case, the temple is in Issan Province and it belong to Khmer People in that province.
Cambodia is the motherland which belong to all Khmer! If Khmer Issan want to claim anything belong to them and they must stand behind the Cambodian government to make their claim! There is no reason why the Khmer Issan want to hide behind the Thaicong government to make their claim!
Come out and show yourself!
Ai bah kamen issan samong thai mai chai leuad kamen!! Stupid Thai issan pretends to be Khmer...shame on you!! Pai dood khouy ai abhisit pai si!
10:32 AM
Take a break your out of arguments like your Siam politicians.
Always that none sense Khmer Issan shit argument.
If you ask a Khmer in Cambodia who is Khmer Issan, the answer would be what the fuck is that!!!
Hahaha...!!!
Ah Fake Karmen must all be shot for trespassing if found in Issan province, period.
Thai historian Charnvit mentioned that Preah Vihear was given to France by Chulalongkorn in order to preserve the rest of Thailand from being a western colony!
I'm a real kol botr Khmer surin and I know that Charnvit is a respectable Thai historian currently a professor at Thammasat University in Bangkok.
I support 100% our brothers in Cambodia!
Phom pen chao Thai "Kamen jag jangwat Surin" phom kho rong hai chao Thai leuad Kamen tuk tuk kon samaki gub pinong khong rao tee prathet Kamphucha.
12:46 PM
Hi Bozo the clown!
You can called us (Khmer) anything you want, Ah Raceless fool, but you ain't keep our temple and land.
11:49 PM
You told us you are Khmer Ass-san from the Anus-san province.
You changed your mind again.
thailand need to educate their people that when they deal with international treaties or what have you, everyone is using the laws, not subjective feelings like emotion, favoritism, fraternity, sorority, etc... and apparently, the world bodies like icj, unesco, etc... see thailand is very emotional and very insecured and inconfident, etc..., as thailand always flip-flopping any international treaties they signed and always claiming that they disagreed with it or whatever. hello, this is not how the world operate, wake up thailand. i thought you people knew better than this. thus icj and unesco will only use the laws for making their decision. and again, they can only use the international laws as it deals with cambodia and thailand, not an internal laws of thailand as they see that to be thailand's problem not cambodia's. god bless cambodia.
Cambodia is the one lacking school, moron.
Hey ah pler 5:13. Ah Nan Chao Siem can never beat Khmer in academic excellence. Do you know why? Take you for an example. You are full of skewed thinking, ah pler. You can't reason jack shit, ah pler. That was why ah Nan Chao Siems lost in the World Court of Justice, ah pler. In fact, Preah Vihear will be once again considered of the Khmer people of Cambodia, whether you like it or not, ah pler. Ah Nan Chao Siems detached the Khmer province of Sukhothai in the 13th century and then more Khmer provinces in the 15th century, and Ah Nan Chao Siems already taught their children that there were such people as the Khmer people, but only the Khom people whom they killed off and chased the rest back to India. Well azzhole, the Khmer people have already been ready to smack Ah Nan Chao Siem like you in the head anytime. Then later on, Ah Nan Chao Siem intellectuals found a slab of stone with the word Khmer written on it dating long way before the 13th century. This proves once again that Ah Nan Chao Siems like you can never learn anything right because you are simply twisting land thieves. Whatelse is honorable about you, ah pler! Just go back to Nan Chao, ah pler. If Preah Vihear can speak, she would says: "Hey Azzhole Nan Chao Siems. Stop calling anh as "Prah Viharn". My name is Preah Vihear and I was made by the Khmer of the heartland, and I will live for the Khmer of the heartland and I will stand by the Khmer of the heartland." Got that, ah Kanjeess Siems. F*ck you azzhole. Ah nan Chao Siems look down at you as dirt and you still glorify them, f*ck you azzhole. Just go die, ah pler.
Well, if your education is that good in the early century, how come you don't have electricity, PC, and internet then? Stop dreaming, stupid, go get a life.
6:22AM ....You must be one crazy thai-Kermen-Issan or whatever you claim.
We did have electricity, PC, and internet. You should stop dreaming. It is useless. Only the Thailand and Cambodia are involved in the listing of the temple. Either Thailand wins or Cambodia wins. You see, whatever happens you khmer issan stuffs will not be able to own it. Would you rather wants the tai to win or the khmers to win. All khmers should own the temple, you think?
6:22 AM
With comment like that I think you need a good history course.
Thailand History class is one of the best in the world. You guy don't even got shit.
so best that's why they eat up their own history ..don't know where the hell they come from. where you come from thailand ? eat my shit
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