Click on the timeline graphic to zoom inPM firm on temple plan [Abhisit was a softie before?]
'No Thai cooperation' on Preah Vihear area
28/07/2010
By Pradit Ruangdit, Sirikul Bunnag and Apinya Wipatayotin
Bangkok Post
Thailand will not cooperate with the World Heritage Committee if it agrees to a management plan for the Preah Vihear temple that infringes upon the disputed border area, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says.
The prime minister is sending a message to the WHC meeting which is expected to discuss Cambodia's management plan for the Hindu temple and its surrounding areas before the gathering, which began on Sunday in Brasilia, Brazil's capital, ends next Tuesday .
The Cambodian-sponsored plan is on the WHC agenda for its 21-member committee to discuss.
Phnom Penh is required to submit the management plan for WHC approval after the temple was placed on the world heritage listing of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in 2008.
Thailand's main concern is that the overlapping territory of 4.6 square kilometres, which has not been demarcated, could be included in the plan and jeopardise negotiations to sort out the area, which has been the main source of border conflicts between the two countries.
Thailand last year successfully blocked the plan at the meeting of the WHC in Seville, Spain.
This time, Mr Abhisit is refusing to cooperate with the WHC on the issue as the conflict over sovereignty of the area remains unsettled.
He reiterated yesterday Thailand's stance on opposing the management plan, which he says should not be brought up for discussion until the two countries resolve their dispute over the territory.
If the WHC's resolution on the management plan affects Thai sovereignty, the government will make it clear that it will not accept it, he said after talks with key leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) at Ban Phitsanulok.
The prime minister met with the PAD's co-leader Pibhop Dhongchai, the movement's spokesman Panthep Puapongpan, Senator Kamnoon Sitthisamarn and historian ML Walwipha Charoonroj, who leads the Preah Vihear listing monitoring network.
With the Brasilia meeting scheduled to discuss the issue, the PAD, led by Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, and 1,000 supporters converged on Unesco's Sukhumvit office yesterday in an effort to derail the Cambodian effort and call for a review of the registration of Preah Vihear as a world heritage site.
The rally broke up after officials from the UN agency agreed to forward the demands to the WHC meeting.
The 21 members of the serving WHC committee are Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, China, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Iraq, Jordan, Mali, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti is leading the Thai delegation to Brasilia to try to stifle Cambodia's management plan.
Mr Kamnoon said the PAD and the government shared a similar view on protecting the country's sovereignty.
He said he felt "relieved" since the government had prepared measures to be taken against the UN agency if it ignores Thailand's stance.
But Maj Gen Chamlong apparently did not feel that way. He said it would be difficult for the Thai delegation to support its objection to the management plan for the temple and its surrounding area, but warned the PAD would not give up its rallies to block it.
"We need to reaffirm our position because we don't believe that the Thai representatives will be able to oppose Cambodia's plan," he said.
"But we still have time to protest until the decision is made. Another series of protests will be definitely arranged to have our voices heard."
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear belonged to Cambodia.
The disputed area near the temple is claimed by Thailand as part of Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket.
The prime minister is sending a message to the WHC meeting which is expected to discuss Cambodia's management plan for the Hindu temple and its surrounding areas before the gathering, which began on Sunday in Brasilia, Brazil's capital, ends next Tuesday .
The Cambodian-sponsored plan is on the WHC agenda for its 21-member committee to discuss.
Phnom Penh is required to submit the management plan for WHC approval after the temple was placed on the world heritage listing of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in 2008.
Thailand's main concern is that the overlapping territory of 4.6 square kilometres, which has not been demarcated, could be included in the plan and jeopardise negotiations to sort out the area, which has been the main source of border conflicts between the two countries.
Thailand last year successfully blocked the plan at the meeting of the WHC in Seville, Spain.
This time, Mr Abhisit is refusing to cooperate with the WHC on the issue as the conflict over sovereignty of the area remains unsettled.
He reiterated yesterday Thailand's stance on opposing the management plan, which he says should not be brought up for discussion until the two countries resolve their dispute over the territory.
If the WHC's resolution on the management plan affects Thai sovereignty, the government will make it clear that it will not accept it, he said after talks with key leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) at Ban Phitsanulok.
The prime minister met with the PAD's co-leader Pibhop Dhongchai, the movement's spokesman Panthep Puapongpan, Senator Kamnoon Sitthisamarn and historian ML Walwipha Charoonroj, who leads the Preah Vihear listing monitoring network.
With the Brasilia meeting scheduled to discuss the issue, the PAD, led by Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, and 1,000 supporters converged on Unesco's Sukhumvit office yesterday in an effort to derail the Cambodian effort and call for a review of the registration of Preah Vihear as a world heritage site.
The rally broke up after officials from the UN agency agreed to forward the demands to the WHC meeting.
The 21 members of the serving WHC committee are Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, China, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Iraq, Jordan, Mali, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti is leading the Thai delegation to Brasilia to try to stifle Cambodia's management plan.
Mr Kamnoon said the PAD and the government shared a similar view on protecting the country's sovereignty.
He said he felt "relieved" since the government had prepared measures to be taken against the UN agency if it ignores Thailand's stance.
But Maj Gen Chamlong apparently did not feel that way. He said it would be difficult for the Thai delegation to support its objection to the management plan for the temple and its surrounding area, but warned the PAD would not give up its rallies to block it.
"We need to reaffirm our position because we don't believe that the Thai representatives will be able to oppose Cambodia's plan," he said.
"But we still have time to protest until the decision is made. Another series of protests will be definitely arranged to have our voices heard."
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear belonged to Cambodia.
The disputed area near the temple is claimed by Thailand as part of Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket.
10 comments:
When Preah Vihear really belong to Thai why you don't apply to UN during Khmer had civil war. Jet is so late my friend, all Khmer will never give at all. Khmer will show where we are from!
As much as the Thais love to own Khmer Preah Vihear Temple...white men also have an insatiable appetite for Thai tart pussies! :-) lol 555555555
http://creampiethais.com
why should we share with a nation who has a history of looking down to us with contempt? Calling us enemies and savages and disloyal nation in their history textbooks?
Do you think that Khmer can work and co-managed side by side with a group of racist and opportunist who have continuously plunder our cultural wealth and heritage while attempting to mask to the world and put off our artifact and ancestor's handicraft as Thais?
It is unacceptable. If Thailand comes out and say okay, we love and respect Cambodia and we appreciate the rich culture it's civilization has endowed on us and we promised to change our nation's attitude and our history textbooks and animosity and contempt for Khmer life - then maybe we can put our indignation aside for a moment and act out of understanding that Thailand is perhaps a younger brother in terms of culture to Cambodia and we can get a long. So far as the status quo remains and the Thai attitude towards Khmer stay, it is LOUD AND CLEAR! NO THAILAND! STAY AWAY FROM OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE! YOU ARE NOT KHMER or KHOM!
Since Hun Sen was a Khmer Rouge commander, now a Khmer Rouge leader and had many of his political opponents and journalists assassinated, I wonder if he have any plan to assassinate the Thai Prime Minister (Ahbullshit Vejjajiva)?
The Perah Vihear Temple is belong to Khmer solely. There is no need to whine about Khmer's temple Thailand!
If they kept whinning there will be a case of Khmer to reclaim all of her provinces from Thailand.
Preah Vihear belong to Khmer only!
Rodulfo,
Brazil
There will be another round of shame for Thailand because UNESCO will not listen to Thai because the Preah Vihear Temple is belong to Cambodia.
Luke,
Brasilia, Brazil
Thailand is using Khmer Preah Vihearf for political reason. The Unesco must not fall pray to Thailand ulterior motive. Cambodia has suffered enough and there is need of Thai's arrogance to delay Cambodia progress.
Thai think like monkey and talk monkey because they are all Monkey just like the Thai Monkey King.
Many foreign presses covers Preah Vihear's issues. These coverages, unfortunately, are biased as they have been fed by misinformation from Bangkok. Non of the press quoted any infromation from Cambodia...What are the responsible Khmer's officials are doing? Has Khieu Kanarith been drunk all these day-long?
We thais considered all khmers are friends...even we object to the listing of the temple. we still are friends and brothers. what went wrong with the matter was our betrayal pm thaksin shinawatra who secretly entered a deal with your pm on their personal interest on the offshore oil drilling and the casino in Koh Kong in exchange for the MoU signed which was done only by Thaksin and his mouthpiece Noppadol. These two guys have left so much pains to the thai people. Not only he fueled the southern terrorism fire, killings of so many innocent people in his drug war, he also divided our countrymen. don't let this issue to divide my and your peoples. the issue could be resolved through peaceful means.....
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