Saturday, July 31, 2010

[Thai] PM tells media to study UNESCO resolution as Cambodia claims victory on Preah Vihear issue

BANGKOK, July 31 (MCOT online news) -- Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Saturday told media to carefully read the World Heritage Commission (WHC) resolution after Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An claimed a 'victory' as the heritage agency agreed to review its Preah Vihear temple management plan, despite the action coming a year from now.

Asked to comment on the report, Mr Abhisit told journalists succinctly to "Please find out and read the resolution [yourself]...."

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) heritage commission on Thursday postponed discussing the issue until next year when it meets in Bahrain.

The heritage commission dropped the issue because its meeting secretariat had not distributed the Cambodian-prepared document to committee members six weeks beforehand as required but gave it to members less than one day before the WHC meeting.

It postponed discussion on the thorny issue because the two neighbouring countries could not find common ground to settle the disputed 4.6 sq km of lightly forested land near the temple.

Mr Abhisit’s remarks followed Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An's live TV speech by satellite from Brazil boasting that Cambodia had achieved its goal when the UNESCO committee agreed to consider its plan for managing Preah Vihear temple -- but not emphasising it would be next year.

The Associated Press reported from Phnom Penh quoted Mr Sok An as saying Friday that “UNESCO has officially accepted our management plan documents, so there is no need to have a further discussion or voting. The result ... is a big victory for Cambodia, [the] result we have been waiting for.”

The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 and the ruling has rankled in Thailand ever since.

For Thailand the issue worsened on July 7, 2008, when Preah Vihear was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Under the terms of the listing, Cambodia is required to submit a management plan for WHC approval.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Sam Rainsy wants to help Cambodian, he needs to lobby The French Gov. to get involve with the border dispute with Thailand. They should be the expert and witness to the agreement, because they were the one who signed the agreement with Thailand.

Anonymous said...

oh now, ahbullshit used the biased media e.g. the bangcock post and the nation, well known in the region for their biased reports on cambodia, to do follow up on unesco? don't be surprised when bias reports showed up in siem news. anyway, it sounded like a technical error at unesco meeting than the way siem thugs are claiming. watch, they'll try to mix that with the truth. we all have to remind siem that it won't change the fact that preah vihear temple and surrounding accessway are not theirs, and no co-management with siem either because cambodia reserves the right to choose whoever we want to co-manage our temple's world heritage site, etc... siem must stay out of it. they illegal claim of demarcation of borderline is lame because they use their own map, not an internationally recognized map. so, in reality, siem created their own problem by disrespecting the international border treaty of 1907, etc... it's like they make the problem for themselves and used that in their thug-like crusade to steal cambodia's preah vihear temple and surrounding accessway areas, etc... i told, we (cambodia and the entire world community) are seeing siem's true color clearer and clearer each day, really! god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

We are the best warrior from Angkor era

Anonymous said...

Ahbulshit can't lie anymore. AP is already written Cambodia CLAIMS VICTORY.

Anonymous said...

It is the duty of the Khmer government to call on the international press to stop being mislead by Thai media namely the 'Bangcock Post' and The 'Nation' to call Preah Vihear temple as a Hindu temple. Yes it was built by Khmer Kings and people to worship the Hindu god, but by no mean it was built by Indian people. The Thai think they will get the upper hand by Calling it a Hindu temple instead of Khmer built temple.

It should however be known as:

Khmer Temple or Preah Vihear Temple.