Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Cambodia lectures Lao officials on temple dispute with Thailand

Wed, 06 Jan 2010
DPA

Vientiane - Cambodia's deputy foreign minister visited Laos to provide a background briefing on Preah Vihear, an 11th-century Hindu temple on the Thai-Cambodian border that has sparked a nasty diplomatic spat between the two countries, news reports said Wednesday. Long Visalo on Tuesday gave a lecture to more than 200 Lao Foreign Ministry officials on the history of Preah Vihear and the border dispute it has created between Laos' southern neighbours, the government-run Vientiane Times reported.

The ongoing diplomatic rift between the two countries has raised serious questions about the cohesiveness of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Cambodia, Thailand and Laos are members.

Cambodia has attempted to involve ASEAN in resolving the border dispute, but Thailand has refused, arguing that it is an issue that should be settled bilaterally.

Long Visalo noted that the International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear was under the sovereignty of Cambodia and in July 2008 UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site.

Thailand objected to the UNESCO listing on the grounds that a plot of land adjoining the temple is still subject to a border dispute.

A diplomatic spat over the listing escalated into a tense standoff last year between the two countries' armies near Preah Vihear, which left several soldiers on both sides dead.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cambodia should lecture LAO official on our Temple called WAT PHU also...not just Preah Vihear?

Anonymous said...

ํำyes
wat phu belongs to Cambodia. Every temple in the world including in India and Indonesia, they stole from the great cambodia. 5555

Anonymous said...

It is good to explain the issues to Loas people to share the concerns of the conflicts on Preah Vihear and Loas people may stand on Cambodia side.

Anonymous said...

That's right, all Temples throughout South East Asia are belonged to Khmer Empier King Suriyavarman, Jayavarman...only those "Nieghbors thief" knew how to steal and robbed from Khmers...History can't lied!!

Anonymous said...

Those stupid greedy neighbors becareful, cambodia can used missile to blow you up like japan...small missile, but very very powerful! watchout, don't mess with Khmer these days...bitch!