Tuesday July 15, 2008
PIYAPORN WONGRUANG
Bangkok Post
Pongpol Adireksarn, the chairman of the National World Heritage Committee, talked to the Post after returning from Quebec where the Preah Vihear issue was discussed.
How did Thailand prepare for the meeting in Quebec? We had two teams. One was mine concentrating on matters regarding World Heritage. The other was led by the Foreign Ministry and focussed on matters regarding political issues, especially the boundary issue.
We agreed to merge our stance into two main points, which were the deferral and the joint nomination of the site. We insisted on the joint nomination because we felt that the site's integrity should be preserved. Since some parts of the temple's cultural landscape fall in Thai territory, it should be jointly nominated.
What did you do to get the World Heritage Committee (WHC) to consider Thailand's stance? We had an informal talk with Cambodia through a mediator on July 6. We were in separate rooms, and the WHC's representative came to us first. We told them we wanted to postpone the proposal. They said this could not be done since it was postponed once. And for the joint nomination, they said it was too late because Cambodia already put in a proposal [unilaterally]. So we told them then that only the temple could be listed. They went back and forth between us and the Cambodians for about three to four hours. It was quite rushed as they went back and forth.
Did we not expect that Cambodia's temple would be listed anyway? We realised that. But we tried to negotiate so we would have benefited, or at the most not been at a disadvantage. People said we surrendered. Surrendered what? Our statement says we objected.
Was there any voting in the meeting? No. The chairperson shared the draft decision in the meeting, and nobody objected. So, the chairperson hit the hammer. In some other cases, some members exchanged words, but not on this. They said it was the last matter and time was limited. There were 47 sites nominated. Previously, the Preah Vihear case was the fourth in order, but it was moved to 47th. They said they wanted us to settle a deal.
Do you think policies or mechanisms regarding a World Heritage site are adequate to help facilitate the issues concerning disputed boundaries?
The WHC does not get involved with boundaries. They are interested in only World Heritage matters. So parties have to discuss with one another. So far, there is the International Coordinating Committee to help in related policies. This will be a platform where we can fight further. I still see that as useful.
How did Thailand prepare for the meeting in Quebec? We had two teams. One was mine concentrating on matters regarding World Heritage. The other was led by the Foreign Ministry and focussed on matters regarding political issues, especially the boundary issue.
We agreed to merge our stance into two main points, which were the deferral and the joint nomination of the site. We insisted on the joint nomination because we felt that the site's integrity should be preserved. Since some parts of the temple's cultural landscape fall in Thai territory, it should be jointly nominated.
What did you do to get the World Heritage Committee (WHC) to consider Thailand's stance? We had an informal talk with Cambodia through a mediator on July 6. We were in separate rooms, and the WHC's representative came to us first. We told them we wanted to postpone the proposal. They said this could not be done since it was postponed once. And for the joint nomination, they said it was too late because Cambodia already put in a proposal [unilaterally]. So we told them then that only the temple could be listed. They went back and forth between us and the Cambodians for about three to four hours. It was quite rushed as they went back and forth.
Did we not expect that Cambodia's temple would be listed anyway? We realised that. But we tried to negotiate so we would have benefited, or at the most not been at a disadvantage. People said we surrendered. Surrendered what? Our statement says we objected.
Was there any voting in the meeting? No. The chairperson shared the draft decision in the meeting, and nobody objected. So, the chairperson hit the hammer. In some other cases, some members exchanged words, but not on this. They said it was the last matter and time was limited. There were 47 sites nominated. Previously, the Preah Vihear case was the fourth in order, but it was moved to 47th. They said they wanted us to settle a deal.
Do you think policies or mechanisms regarding a World Heritage site are adequate to help facilitate the issues concerning disputed boundaries?
The WHC does not get involved with boundaries. They are interested in only World Heritage matters. So parties have to discuss with one another. So far, there is the International Coordinating Committee to help in related policies. This will be a platform where we can fight further. I still see that as useful.
19 comments:
Stop meddling in Cambodia's property. If you are so greedy, karma will get to you! As a devout buddhist nation, Thailand should know very well the doctrine of our Lord Buddha.
Preah Vihear will always remain Cambodian property through eternity!
Get over it, it is not yours. It was built by Khmer King Suriyavarman II on Khmer soil.
The power of the temple will curse and destroy you forever for trying to rob this unique Khmer legacy.
Ahimsa = non violence = Santi = peace
F*ck ah nan Chao Siems. They even said it with their own words: "Did we not expect that Cambodia's temple would not be listed anyway? Yes, we realisd that."
See they admit and acknowledge it already, so why do these f*cking annoying Nan Chao Siems want to act up for? Again, people you must understand their ethnic origin to the fullest. They are criminalistic people who are the descendants of the criminals who stole the Khmer territory. This fact you must understand and learn. They are THIEVES. Our Khmer ancestors carved their images out on the stone of Angkor itself to remind the latter generations of these Nan Chao hellish thieves creatures. If they want to steal again, let them have it, defenders of the mother land.
Cambodia must returns the temple back to Khmer People in Issan province before the problem escalates beyond its control.
Khmer Issan were the slaves of Khmer in Cambodia now they are the slave of Thai all the ways
There are no Khmer people in Issan, there are only brainwashed, braindead low cheap pathetic Khmer traitors in Issan. Therefore to destroy them is no loss. Hahhah.
Thailand must return the land they stole from Cambodia and move back to Yunnan province of Southern China! As for the Thai Issan, they can stay if they speak Khmer and obey their Khmer masters.
Berson jong ros nov dei Khmer trov tae jeh niyeay piasa Khmer ah pler!
Tha meung yahg yu nai dindaen khong Khamaer meung tong ru laeh pood pasa Khamaer, ai bah mhoo!
What? FYI, Chinese doesn't steal anyone land. They were here in the region way before the word "Khmer" was invented, motherfucker!
"For the Thai idiots who don't understand English and rule of law"
Jone thai yu nai Isan mun riak puok mun wah "khamen Isan" mun pen reung huaroh, rao pen kon khamen mai keui pai khamoy arai jahg kon eun rheu prathet peun bahn khong rao.
All your kings since the inception of Siam were and are "thieves 500"
or "Jone Haah Roy" in Thai!
"For the Thai idiots who don't understand English and rule of law"
Jone thai yu nai Isan mun riak puok mun wah "khamen Isan" mun pen reung huaroh, rao pen kon khamen mai keui pai khamoy arai jahg kon eun rheu prathet peun bahn khong rao.
What a pathetic Khmers!
You lost in wars.
If you want to reclaim all your land, go ahead.
I want to see how you'll do it.
Well! What the Thaicong are waiting for? Go drum up your army! Ahhahahhaha
I can't wait to see the Thaicong spend million and million of dollars repairing those F-16s and their tanks and what else...
This is a good time to drag the Thaicong into hell and make their economy fuck up, lower their living of standard, and send them back to the Stone Age!
In the 1980, the Vietcong spent $1 million dollar a day just to maintain their troop and with today bad economic condition with high inflation and the Thaicong will have to spend twice as much just to maintain their military in Cambodia!ahhahahhah
Sure I will worship the Thaicong when they enter Cambodia! The Thaicong army thinks that they are the only one who knows how to kill! Kill or be killed and the Thaicong will find out once they enter Cambodia and Cambodia will again be flooded with weapons and the killing will begin again!
AH HUN SEN right now don't want to start shit because he wants to protect his pocket book! But even AH HUN SEN couldn't even help the Vietcong in Cambodia!
No international community will support the Thaicong aggressor! The Thaicong will be defeated economically, politically, and militarily!
Long Live Hun Sen!
To smartly deal with former Thai Prime minister to give back Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia....
And in return, former ThaiPM will be awarded a land concession in Koh Kong for 99 years or so.
LOL
Shut the fuck up, 6:58. You don't know what you are talking about.
In any case, no one can have war while there are oil to drill and bring a shore. After that, it will be a different story, nobody care, and it will be Cambodia last chapter. Do you catch my drift?
What's this shitty article.
The Bangkok Post interviewing Pongo, this is has a lot power.
It felts like a breeze on my butt.
LOL.
BKP: Do you thing that we Thai people are a bunch of retarded idiots?
Pongpol: Yes this is a good feeling.
BKP: Thanks you very much Mr. Chairman for you time.
6:55PM! " What a pathetic Khmers!" Thank you stupid!
Do you want to see of how we do it, to claim our land?
You stupid blind in the brain, can you see how your stupid jump all over your head right now! while the whold world is with khmer!
That how we claim our land in 21st. centery, ah Kapiik grand son of thief! Stop be thief stupid!
what a shameless thailand gov't is by saying that they want to claim preah vihear temple so they can benefit from cambodia's belongings. it's like me saying i want to marry bill gates so i can benefit from his fortune. now we all know their criminal motive with cambodia's belongings. i'm sure they want to benefit from angkor wat too and from the new development in phnom penh too, etc... what an immoral, despicable race they really are, the siem thieves!!!!!
according to the franco-siamese treaty of 1904 - 1907 and the icj verdict which confirm that, thailand territory is not adjacent to preah vihear temple like the claim now. they obviously violated the treaty of 1904 - 1907, not to mention the icj verdict. apparently, they unilaterally redraw the map to claim the adjacent area of preah vihear when in fact the treaty of 1907 indicated otherwise.
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