Prince Damrong visiting Preah Vihear temple (2nd from right)October 7, 2009
SUBHATRA BHUMIPRABHAS
SPECIAL TO THE NATION
Nationalism has clouded our view of the temple's ownership, argues one academic. But history has the simple answer
On 30 January 1929, Prince Damrong Rajanupab arrived at Preah Vihear as head of an official expedition from the Siamese court of King Prajadhipok (Rama VII). There to welcome him was the French commissioner for the Cambodian province along with the archaeologist Henri Parmentier, who was to act as guide for the expedition's trip up Panom Dongrek mountain to see its famed centuries-old Hindu temple.
The prince and the commissioner exchanged speeches of friendship at a cheerful reception attended by the entourage of high-ranking Siamese noblemen, before listening to a lecture on Preah Vihear Temple given by the French archaeologist. Fluttering above this happy scene was the flag of France.
"This is recorded history - a history that must not be forgotten by Thai students," said historian Charnvit Kasetsiri, at a talk titled "The Contested Temple" given recently at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand.
"Prince Damrong accepted that Preah Vihear belonged to French Indochina," noted Charnvit, as he showed photographs of the prince and French commissioner posing together beneath the French flag. But the history that most Thai students are taught focuses on the loss of territory, he added, citing a Thai textbook for Grade 6 students.
"It asks us to remember the loss of territories beginning with Penang and ending with Preah Vihear Temple. But by ignoring Prince Damrong's visit in 1929, it effectively tells us to forget about the truth.
"This is history infected with nationalism."
Charnvit went on to show how the "infection" reaches beyond schoolbooks and into tourism - a brochure welcoming tourists to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai talks about the "Losses of Territories and Survival of Siam", while Samut Prakan's Muang Boran [Ancient City] contains a replica of Preah Vihear.
Nationalism and tourism go together, he concluded.
The current case of Preah Vihear reflects the kind of "selective history" that stirs nationalistic feeling and leads to war-mongering threats to take back "lost territory", he said.
Following Prince Damrong's visit, Preah Vihear was left in peace for over a decade. Then, in 1940 the government of Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkram added the Hindu temple to its list of Thai archaeological sites.
Though the addition was announced in the pages of the Royal Gazette, there is no evidence that Cambodia's French rulers noticed it. In 1954, the year after Cambodia won independence, Pibul sent Thai troops to occupy the area around the Preah Vihear site. But Thai history tends to ignore this event, preferring to focus on the claim made by King Sihanouk at the International Court of Justice in 1959, which in 1962 awarded the temple to Cambodia.
Charnvit, now 67, recalled how nationalism was working on him the day he heard of the "loss of territory" brought by the court's judgement.
"It was a shock because all the news, all the PR from the military government, told us we were winning for sure," he said.
"We believed that Preah Vihear belonged to us. I was a 21-year-old student. I was so angry. I marched with about a hundred Thammasat University students up Rajdamnoen Avenue. I had a photo of King Sihanouk, which I tore apart, threw down on the street and trampled."
Finally, Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, leader of the military government at the time, made an appearance on television to say the government had no choice but to accept the ruling of the court.
Now, after almost half a century, the version of history that tells of the "loss" of Preah Vihear has been brought up to stir nationalism in Thailand once again, with nationalists saying they refuse to accept the International Court's 1962 judgement.
Bad history creates false perceptions and false perceptions lead to conflict between neighbours, the historian said.
"Our history texts must be revised and corrected to reflect the truth. Only that way will we be able to live together peacefully in this age of regionalism and globalisation."
On 30 January 1929, Prince Damrong Rajanupab arrived at Preah Vihear as head of an official expedition from the Siamese court of King Prajadhipok (Rama VII). There to welcome him was the French commissioner for the Cambodian province along with the archaeologist Henri Parmentier, who was to act as guide for the expedition's trip up Panom Dongrek mountain to see its famed centuries-old Hindu temple.
The prince and the commissioner exchanged speeches of friendship at a cheerful reception attended by the entourage of high-ranking Siamese noblemen, before listening to a lecture on Preah Vihear Temple given by the French archaeologist. Fluttering above this happy scene was the flag of France.
"This is recorded history - a history that must not be forgotten by Thai students," said historian Charnvit Kasetsiri, at a talk titled "The Contested Temple" given recently at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand.
"Prince Damrong accepted that Preah Vihear belonged to French Indochina," noted Charnvit, as he showed photographs of the prince and French commissioner posing together beneath the French flag. But the history that most Thai students are taught focuses on the loss of territory, he added, citing a Thai textbook for Grade 6 students.
"It asks us to remember the loss of territories beginning with Penang and ending with Preah Vihear Temple. But by ignoring Prince Damrong's visit in 1929, it effectively tells us to forget about the truth.
"This is history infected with nationalism."
Charnvit went on to show how the "infection" reaches beyond schoolbooks and into tourism - a brochure welcoming tourists to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai talks about the "Losses of Territories and Survival of Siam", while Samut Prakan's Muang Boran [Ancient City] contains a replica of Preah Vihear.
Nationalism and tourism go together, he concluded.
The current case of Preah Vihear reflects the kind of "selective history" that stirs nationalistic feeling and leads to war-mongering threats to take back "lost territory", he said.
Following Prince Damrong's visit, Preah Vihear was left in peace for over a decade. Then, in 1940 the government of Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkram added the Hindu temple to its list of Thai archaeological sites.
Though the addition was announced in the pages of the Royal Gazette, there is no evidence that Cambodia's French rulers noticed it. In 1954, the year after Cambodia won independence, Pibul sent Thai troops to occupy the area around the Preah Vihear site. But Thai history tends to ignore this event, preferring to focus on the claim made by King Sihanouk at the International Court of Justice in 1959, which in 1962 awarded the temple to Cambodia.
Charnvit, now 67, recalled how nationalism was working on him the day he heard of the "loss of territory" brought by the court's judgement.
"It was a shock because all the news, all the PR from the military government, told us we were winning for sure," he said.
"We believed that Preah Vihear belonged to us. I was a 21-year-old student. I was so angry. I marched with about a hundred Thammasat University students up Rajdamnoen Avenue. I had a photo of King Sihanouk, which I tore apart, threw down on the street and trampled."
Finally, Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, leader of the military government at the time, made an appearance on television to say the government had no choice but to accept the ruling of the court.
Now, after almost half a century, the version of history that tells of the "loss" of Preah Vihear has been brought up to stir nationalism in Thailand once again, with nationalists saying they refuse to accept the International Court's 1962 judgement.
Bad history creates false perceptions and false perceptions lead to conflict between neighbours, the historian said.
"Our history texts must be revised and corrected to reflect the truth. Only that way will we be able to live together peacefully in this age of regionalism and globalisation."
45 comments:
STUPID FUCKING THAIS, FUCK THAILAND
Thai citizens must go back to school to learn their history all over again.
Oh, I forget to sign.
AH PPU hater
Illegal crossing from King, illegal occupation by Thai soldiers, and currently massing troops, occupy Khmer land, burned Khmer kid alive, rapping Khmer women, murder Khmer innocent, what else Thai has not done to Khmer?!
12:38, I hate to use your words against you. But shut the Fuck up!
I am fed up with losers like you who have nothing better to do then go around and curses this and that and find everything to blame on others.
You make all Cambodian look like a bunch of dam ignorant fools with your opinion and cursing. It adds no value here or anywhere else you spill over, that includes youtube!
so stop going around and "represent", you put Khmer people to shame with that kind of pathetic language.
Thank you,
I know you will want to come back with worses curses, if you do, you only prove my point of how pathetic this can get!
It's your choice though. You shouldn't live your life full of hatred like that. It only kills you inside.
Thailand was bombing by the British and its allies like Canadian, Australia, Dutch, Indian and forcing Thailand to pay the war cost to the British and its allies. Thailand became slave of the British but Thailand claimed wrongly never colony.
Professor Charnvit Kasetsiri is a good man who truly understands what is right and what is wrong.
You earn my respect by telling those who want to listen the true history of Preah Vihear.
For those Thais who don't want to accept the truth, they should ask themselves a question why what they consider belonging to them was built by a Khmer King.
Cambodians cannot afford to be divided anymore. Unity is a must and must be maintained at all cost.
Anet Khmer
"loss of territory"? Actualy Cambodia is the one that loss of territory to Thailand.
Thai people must look back and don't twist the history, you should know the fact where you originaly came from. All temples in Thailand built by Khmer, Khmer lost a lot of territories to Thailand. Thai took Siem Reap and Battambang provinces where Cambodia territory and then claimed to be your land, century later Khmer took Siem Reap and Battambang provinces back and you, Thai cliams that thailand lost territory of Battambang and Siem Reap provinces to Khmer. And now, you're telling to the Thai people to forget the past. It's okay to forget the past, but you, Thai people must know the fact that you are actually took Khmer lands, and looted all Khmer treasurs, copied all Khmer culutres, traditions and language.
We, Khmer know the fact regarding the history of Cambodia and South East Asia, we were first Khmer kindom ruled which is present day Thailand and Loas.
Do you understand Khun Thai?
You should start to teach your young generatin true history of Thaland.
Cambodia Town
Long Beach, Ca
Siams bandits PAD (yellow shirts) were planned to protest on october 13 near Preah Vihear area, we Cambodian troop were ready to protect our territory against the robbers. Watch out Siams bandits PAD.
New Phally
Let's switch gear for a second, why PRK and its rulers deprived Khmer young generations to know history about Viet encroachment and who were behind Khmers killing Khmers since 1954. Why KPP or PRK hide history and social study from Khmer children after Viet occupation on 7 January 1979.
This irony is the same for Siam government in requiring Siam grade schools to use Prince Damrong fabricated history book only.
Damrong twisted Siam history and made Siam nationalism a confused one which caused many coups that damn Siam outlook in the world.
Agree with Professor Kaetsiri view,teaching wrong history to kids will lead to ignorance of own identity.This is exactly Hun Sen is doing to the after 1979 born genrerations.
The only reason that thai wants a piece of cambodia, cause vietnam is getting some already, and the government of cambodia.
Thai is feeling threaten. One day after vietnam total controll over laos and cambodia north and south. Thailand will be next ? Thailand is now realizing that!
7;18PM.
The strategies of Vietnam may be changed, due to the facts that Chinese already quietly control Vietnam. President Nguyen Tan Dung is Chinese and many more chinese are in high ranking positions in Vietnam. I think Vietnam may shift its policy to work with China to survive like Ho Chi Minh did in the past. One Vietnamese politician made a statement "The US is in heaven.." means the US is too far to reach whereas China shares border with Vietnam.
His words made us wonder that Vietnam has to work with China.
I am afraid China may allow Vietnamese to do everything in Cambodia, then Cambodia should hold tight with the US if China favors Vietnam. If China does not let Vietnam, then Cambodia should stay friend with both US/China to survive.
Why everybody love CAMBODIA?
TREASURE! TREASURE! TREASURE!
more 1,000 ancient temples throughout SE Asia including mostly in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
7:29PM – It is good to see that more and more Vietnameses of Chinese origin occupying key positions in the Vietnamese government. But we got to be very careful as this is only a temporary PR measure put in place by the yuon hardliners to please or deceive China. We hope that China does not fall into that trap like she did when Hanoi used her to fight French colonialism and American imperialism.
Your fear is quite valid, but I think China will not go to the extent of letting Vietnam do everything in Cambodia. China had her lesson in the past and she will do what she can so that Cambodia will not be annexed by Vietnam for the very obvious reason. Vietnam was, and will be again, a satellite country of Russia.
What about Thailand? Well, Thais always “wish” to absorb part of Cambodia, but they are not a real threat to us. Thailand will not do anything that she believes will cause Cambodia destruction because she needs Cambodia as her buffer zone against Vietnam and other world conflicts.
What about America? We want to be a good friend of America, but the question is: does America want to be our “good” friend? Altough we should try to be America friend, we must also understand that America is too far away. One can not rely on the too-far-away water to put out fire that is burning his house. That is why Vietnam makes alliance with Russia. Our best bet at this time is China becuase she is the only superpower that has security interest of protecting our country from Hanoi.
The Thai education system as it currently stands is garbage in garbage out. You absolutely need revise everything from your history textbooks to your maps to reflect the truth. You have to realize that it is now Cambodia's time.
Mr. Hun Sen if you want to break the chains and shackles that yuons put on your neck and your government, go to China and ask for help and protection. Now is the best time to do it. You may not have that chance again.
I am sure you love your country. Please do the right thing for your country and the people will be grateful for ever.
If Hun Sen acts as suggested by 8:51PM, all Khmers, including opposition supporters, will vote for him. He does not need those illegal youn settlers' vote.
Isn't this an honorable legacy he wants people to remember?
Thai had taught Pseudo-history to its people for centuries. This ideology not only brain washed them but to hate its neighbour. The Roman empire built many castles across europe and northern Africa. Those buildings which were built by the Romans were always belongs to Roman empire. No one claimed to be built by turkey, France or Mococco. Preah Vihear Temple were built Khmer kings must belongs to Khmer people.
Thai had taught Pseudo-history to its people for centuries. This ideology not only brain washed them but to hate its neighbour. The Roman empire built many castles across europe and northern Africa. Those buildings which were built by the Romans were always belongs to Roman empire. No one claimed to be built by turkey, France or Mococco. Preah Vihear Temple were built Khmer kings must belongs to Khmer people.
In the Preas Vihear case, dont blame Thai people for being dumb about it , blame the government who twisted the history and lied to its people .
I used to go to school in Thailand and I have been told the reason why there were many Khmer in Thailand , its opposite from what we learn in Cambodia.
What did they tell you? Please do tell.
9:05 PM
Your comment doesn't implicate what 5:51 PM said up there . Viet and China are not friends and Hun Sen is between the two . Hun Sen can get away from Viet if he can get help from China because China doesn't like Viet and doesn't want to see Viet incontrol of Cambodia and Hun Sen's government.
But to me , any direction he goes, I don't think it's going to be good for the Country because both of them Viet and China are communist ... communist is failure that's why Soviet Union fell apart in the 80s .
Truck Driver
to answer to 10:05 PM
Thailand teach its people that , Khmer have been invading thailand many years ago because Khmer wanted to have Thailand but at that time Khmer was not strong enough to hold on to part of Thailand that's why Thai fought back and liberated some of those provinces ..like Surin , Cheang Mai and a few more and some Khmer people dicided not to leave Thailand that's why you see Khmer people all over Thailand.
Thats what I learned when I was in school in Thailand
Thanks 10:28PM for sharing the info. I am not 10:05PM. As the world embraces globalization and the information begins to flow more freely, the real history starts to surface.
No government can lie to its people as it did in the pass.
correction - "pass" should be "past"
Thailand put their history in book in 6th grade, how about Cambodia? nothing, they afraid to teach koun Khmer about history. I am so sick of the government, they never talk about history. You and me know about this history from old people only. Wake up let put history in book so we are all can learn about the true.
10:57 PM,
Our great history started from 01/17/1979, when our savior came to resue us. The great history is being taught now, what were you saying?
CAMBODIA is 5,600 years up to date.
Funan and Chenla to KHMER EMPRE....
Professor Chranvit is right. The Thai government never teaches Thai kids real history. I went to Thai grade school also. We were thauhgt about lost Thai territories in the 19 and 20 th centuries, that Cambodia and Laos were parts of Thailand before the French arrived. This may be the case from 15 to 18th centuries. But before the 15th century the present Thailand was part of Khmer Angkor empire. Thai are screwed up people. They can't tell the difference bewteen chicken and egg. We are the first owner of ther land. Thai should teach its school kids the truth.
Cambodia shrunk because we trusted our enemies... now the history is repeating itself again... Hun Sen is put total trusted with Vietnam. Vietnam is the country that we should worry about most... both in politics and in land grabbing and at the same time sending mass of its citizens people to live in Cambodia. For Thailand its threat is for the resourceful land grabbing and stealing Cambodia's culture heritage.
12:47 YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP FAGGET.....YOU ARE THE ONE THAT LOOKS PATHETIC......YOUR THE LOSER TRYING TO TELL ME HOW TO TALK FAG.... ......ILL SAY WHAT EVER THE FUCK I WANT BITCH...FUCK YOU AND THAILAND FUCKING FAGGET......THERE I PROVE YOUR POINT FAGGET............WHAT YOU WANT A COOKIE NOW.......? ITS CALLED FREEDOM OF SPEECH BITCH.....IF YOU DONT LIKE IT, SHUT THE FUCK UP
IGNORANT MOTHERFUCKER
SO FUCK YOU 12:47 AND THAILAND
Thailand is the land of bushitt, FUCK THAILAND
Thank you Professor Chranvit,
your arguments and your proof are correct what was the real history between Siem and Khmer:
1. Before collapse Angkor late 14th century, most Land
in Thailand at the present belong to Khmer empire
2. But after collapse of Angkor, 3 provinces (Battam
Bang, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear) in Cambodia right
now belong to Thailand. At that time Khmer was
vassal state between Viet and Siam (2/3 for Siam
and 1/3 for Viet).
By proposal of Khmer King for protector, France came to Cambodia and 1863, France was Khmer protectorate. So, when Thai said that Preah Vihear or Angkor Wat belong to them, that is true but they knew only after collapse Angkor Wat. If they knew before collapse Angkor Wat, they must to understand that a lot of Khmer provices in Thailand right belong to Khmer people. That is the fact.
If France was not protectorate for Khmer in 1863, then Khmer land had no exist at the present day, it will be part of Viet and Siam.
Khmer Son
12:47 is one of those idiots that thinks he knows everything, fucking SCRUB
12:47 is one of those idiots that thinks he knows everything, fucking SCRUB
This era is the world of internet user. A lots of true or false message in there. I think, we (all people in Southeast Asian) should start to learn our history steps by steps. Junk thinking to use bias history to communicate. "History" should use for understanding what is happening in the past not use to reconstruction heroism of each nations. For me, I'm "Thai" and also I interestiong to enjoy with many history book from many source. If we can open mind we can get a lots of detail of history across the present national border. All culture is using to copies and re-buit all the time of history period.
Thai Khmer Lao and Veit should learn about history of EU country and follow them to find the best way construct the real new way for us.
Thank you Professor Chranvit, you are the righteous person, may god bless you be with you always. I'm sure you will live forever with God. You seem to know alot about Khmer empire and its noble being that we weren't that bad until Pol Pot regimes destroyed it all. So, thank you for respecting our country and heritages. In peace my friend, cheers
All for one and one for all, cheers
This news is best example for understanding problem with mistake history use.
Thai policy use to cutting "historic time" before colonial period of France in Indochina region. Only that to make unfair condition under France force to Siam to cut the terriory that were controlled.
Cambodian policy use to cutting "historic time" at the peak of Khmer empire to promote to young generation of Khmer soul. They try to follow Germany before the II world war.
Historic to pro-nationalism is the best tools of government creature, because that are very easy to got prey and best to hidden many of agendas.
Was it really added as a historical site in 1940? Don't forget that 1941-1946 half of Cambodia was annexed by Thailand under the protection of the Japanese, and therefore in these years Preah Vihear "belonged" to Thailand. But even if this registration took place before the official annexation, French Indochina was already occupied by the Japanese, and France itself by Germany. So it's no wonder noone cared about this act, the French had much more pressing problems than this temple.
Andy.
The war criminal Hirohito lost his war so the French was liberated; thus Cambodia got their land back.
On the top of that King Sihanouk won Preah Vihear at the International court.
"The temple was built by the ancient Khmers and clearly belongs to Cambodia, both from a legal and historical point of view" said Dr. Giles Ungpakorn, a Thai-British scholar.
1:19 AM,
No. Cambodia was shrunked because Khmer people refused to adopt or to adapt with new situations.
They're too proud of the ancient civilization which they forgot to see adopt new civilization.
The same as American Indians or the aborogines in Australia. They chose to live in groups and refused to form a government (nation) that could strength the area they lived. That's why they lost the land.
Khmers formed a powerful governmnet but then the people were getting too arrogant and too spoiled thought that no one would had dared to attack them, then the other tribes attacked them.
During the French colony, Vietnamese would had not became the supervisor of Cambodia and Laso if Khmers played game with the French by adopting Latin (at least for the momont). The Vietnamese saw that opportunity, they did accept Latin, then Khmer land shrinked again. Not even that French gave KKK to the Vietnamese.
obviously, some siem thieves wanted to steal preah vihear from cambodia, then as well as now. what else is new, really!
3;49am.
You are guessing. The Thai people are kept in dark, they are only taught what it has in the books wrote by the absolute monarchy and the military dicttaors ruled by the elites and the powerful.
In Thailand, Thai people have no freedom and no access into internets and to have all freedom like you to search, only Thais at outside can. The thieves started from General Chakri about two hundren years ago. He led the military campaign and conquered everywhere he went to. He took all Cambodia to South (today is SVN) and Laos. He was the founding father of this current Chakri Dynasty. The Thai people have no knowledge other than what the Chakri dynasty and the powerful elites taught them.
Thank you Professor Chranvit and editor, SUBHATRA BHUMIPRABHAS.
Is it true that the present thai people including his majesty Bhumibul are looking down their former prince (relative of king)?. The present Thai constitution must be applied to those people including his majesty king.
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