Monday, July 07, 2008

Thai official: Controversial temple likely to be approved as World Heritage site

BANGKOK, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Attempts by Cambodia to list the controversial Preah Vihear temple, which stands across the area of both Cambodia and Thailand, as a World Heritage site during the current United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) annual session held in Canada's Quebec City, are expected to bear fruit, according to Thailand's World Heritage Committee.

Pongpol Adireksarn, chairman of the committee and currently attending the UNESCO session, said that more than half of the 21 World Heritage Committee members had told him informally that they favored the Cambodian government's registration of the ancient temple as a World Heritage site as it had "untiringly pursued the issue on a constant basis", the official Thai News Agency reported on Sunday.

He quoted committee members as telling him that the concerned Phnom Penh government had also invited them to visit the temple, unlike Thailand whose "policy was uncertain" and whose government changed frequently, the report said.

The temple issue is expected to be conferred by the World Heritage Committee on Sunday night, Thailand time.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a non-governmental organization, had distributed reports to the committee, saying that the listing of the temple alone as a World Heritage site would pose no problem for the consideration, said Pongpol.

But the ICOMOS recommended that both Cambodia and Thailand should jointly propose that the surrounding area to the temple should also be included as the World Heritage site.

Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama, attending the session as an observer, is expected to oppose and delay the listing of the temple following the Thai Administrative Court's temporary injunction against the June 17 cabinet approval of the joint communique he signed with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.

Noppadon said in Quebec that he would prepare a letter and lobby the Committee to delay the listing of the temple.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is the best news ever, even though it is just speculation. I don't care. We Khmer can see the result already. Over half of the 21 committee members already approve the listing of Preah Vihear informally. So this is some wonderful news. Today we declare our Preah Vihear, the next time, we will ask for the return of all of the 7 Khmer provinces in the Thailand's Esan Region. We need to bring the Khmer Buriram, Khmer Surin, and Khmer Sisaket, and all the Khmer Esan back to the Mother Land (Cambodia) once again.

Anonymous said...

Thais or Siams have no legal knowledge that's why they did a stupid thing claiming our Preah Vihear. I'm sure Siams will be purnished by UNESCO or international community at Québec.

Anonymous said...

If UNESCO accepted our proposal, our next step is to prove that land surrounded site belongs to Cambodia as well. Go Sok An go.

Anonymous said...

CHAYO KAMPUCHEA!

Cambodia - 1 point
Thailand - 0 point

Anonymous said...

There's no doubt that UNESCO would accept Cambodia's proposal.

Anonymous said...

This is a good sound from UNESCO even though it is a informal sound but Khmer people at everywhere in the world hope strongly our Preah Vihear will be listed soon!!

Bravo, Cambodia!!
Down Thai!!

From Ramy, Chungnam University, South Korea.

Anonymous said...

Its illegal to register stolen temple. It is undemocratic.

In any case, when there is no peace in the region, there will not be any tourist to benefit from. Thus, the temple will remain a waste land either way.

Anonymous said...

UNESCO will help us maintains the temple in good shape!!!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but unfortunately it is not yours. It belong to Khmer people in Issan, and we don't need UNESCO help.

Anonymous said...

IF A TEMPLE IS REMAINING AS A WASTE LAND,IT'S THE GREEDY THAI FAULT,NOT US KHMER.WE HAD A LOT MORE TEMPLES FOR THE WORLD TOURISTS.IF YOU THAI WANT THE TEMPLE BACK,YOU HAVE TO PAY WITH YOUR BLOOD,NOT MONEY.AND USE YOUR MONKEYS BUT NOT THE BLACK UNIFORM THAI BORDER GUARDS,BECAUSE THEY ONLY DARE SHOOT THE CIVILIAN.HAHAHAH KHMER ROUGH HAD RUN OVER TRAT IN NO TIME,IF ONE OF YOU THAI REMEMBER......

Anonymous said...

We'll turn the area to a land fill to deterred tourist from the area. Fuck Ah Greedy Fakes in Cambodia.