By Luc Citrinot (etn)
It is a rather sad story for Preah Vihear temple, a 11° century jewel of Angkor architecture which unfortunately lies on a tip of a promontory just on the border line between Cambodia and Thailand. For decades, the temple has been the witness of a war of words, skirmishes and even sporadic fights between Cambodian and Thai troops due to territorial claims. Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia since 1907, a decision which was confirmed by an international judgment in 1962. Two years ago, Preah Vihear was finally listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This week, the meeting of the World Heritage Commission in Brasilia was supposed to endorse Cambodia’s management plans for the temple area. But Thailand voiced its strong concern, threatening to withdraw from the Heritage Committee as it complained not to have been consulted.
According to Sue Williams, UNESCO spokesperson, Preah Vihear Temple is listed as a Cambodian World Heritage Property and is therefore administered by Cambodia. But to complicate things, parts of the temple’s surrounding and access are on Thai territory. Both Cambodia and Thailand claim a 4.2 km² buffer zone under their sovereignty. Thailand discovered that Preah Vihear management as presented by Cambodia would have integrated one km² belonging to the contested buffer area…
UNESCO has been greatly embarrassed by this battle which seems to belong to another age. “The problem concerns a contested border between the two countries. This is not an issue that UNESCO or the World heritage Committee can do anything about. It must be solved by the two countries concerned”, indicates Mrs Williams. Thailand’s threat to leave would have a devastating impact for the credibility of the organisation. However, Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva remained firm on the issue and indicated that Thailand would not back any management plan for the area as long as a demarcation line between both countries has not been acknowledged.
Meanwhile, UNESCO World Heritage Committee took the decision… to take no decision! The management plan’s approval for Preah Vihear will be effectively postponed by one year until the WHC meets again next year in Bahrain. According to Director-general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, the first concern of the World Heritage Committee is to protect and promote mankind heritage, and this with full respect and without prejudice to the sovereignty of Member States or to any territorial claims. "Protecting and enhancing our natural and cultural heritage means building peace, respect and solidarity which lies at the heart of UNESCO's mission. It is our common responsibility to makes these sites emblems of peace, dialogue and reconciliation," she said.
Meanwhile, the tragedy is more for Preah Vihear temple itself. It has been closed to the public for a year now due to safety concerns. And instead of being celebrated as a proud testimony of Hinduism heritage by both kingdoms of Cambodia and Thailand, emphasizing together their common history and helping to a better understanding, it has been turned into an object of argument and even into a battle area. To the sake of the own private agenda of both Cambodian and Thai politicians…
This week, the meeting of the World Heritage Commission in Brasilia was supposed to endorse Cambodia’s management plans for the temple area. But Thailand voiced its strong concern, threatening to withdraw from the Heritage Committee as it complained not to have been consulted.
According to Sue Williams, UNESCO spokesperson, Preah Vihear Temple is listed as a Cambodian World Heritage Property and is therefore administered by Cambodia. But to complicate things, parts of the temple’s surrounding and access are on Thai territory. Both Cambodia and Thailand claim a 4.2 km² buffer zone under their sovereignty. Thailand discovered that Preah Vihear management as presented by Cambodia would have integrated one km² belonging to the contested buffer area…
UNESCO has been greatly embarrassed by this battle which seems to belong to another age. “The problem concerns a contested border between the two countries. This is not an issue that UNESCO or the World heritage Committee can do anything about. It must be solved by the two countries concerned”, indicates Mrs Williams. Thailand’s threat to leave would have a devastating impact for the credibility of the organisation. However, Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva remained firm on the issue and indicated that Thailand would not back any management plan for the area as long as a demarcation line between both countries has not been acknowledged.
Meanwhile, UNESCO World Heritage Committee took the decision… to take no decision! The management plan’s approval for Preah Vihear will be effectively postponed by one year until the WHC meets again next year in Bahrain. According to Director-general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, the first concern of the World Heritage Committee is to protect and promote mankind heritage, and this with full respect and without prejudice to the sovereignty of Member States or to any territorial claims. "Protecting and enhancing our natural and cultural heritage means building peace, respect and solidarity which lies at the heart of UNESCO's mission. It is our common responsibility to makes these sites emblems of peace, dialogue and reconciliation," she said.
Meanwhile, the tragedy is more for Preah Vihear temple itself. It has been closed to the public for a year now due to safety concerns. And instead of being celebrated as a proud testimony of Hinduism heritage by both kingdoms of Cambodia and Thailand, emphasizing together their common history and helping to a better understanding, it has been turned into an object of argument and even into a battle area. To the sake of the own private agenda of both Cambodian and Thai politicians…
16 comments:
If CPP Hun Sen is strong and clear about what they are doing, nobody dare look down on us but this government is bull shit.
it looks like the real issue now is the contested area adjacent to the temple. this contested area is very important to cambodia because without it, there no easier access to the temple from cambodia. the way cambodia sees it is that siem staked claim without regards to the 1907 treaty which icj verdict was based on with their decision in 1962. there is no other map icj used at the time of the ruling, icj used the 1907 map, by the way, was an internationally recognized map and the only map that cambodia now honored. on the other hand, siem use their map that cambodia never seen before, let alone recognized by the international law and treaty. so, the real problem or issue here is the use of the map by siem or thailand. and now they want to talk demarcation with cambodia? by using their illegal map? it's not doing to work with cambodia, really! the solution is to use the same map that both countries agreed with by international law, not just any map! if siem cannot do that, the issue won't go away, and they can foreget co-management, demarcation, etc; and cambodia will continue to request for management of our temple with unesco as it is a site of world heritage of cambodia, not of thailand or siem, you know! there's a huge difference there. the world heritage site is in cambodia, not in thailand, and the demarcation problem has nothing to do with this request as siem keeps using the illegal map not recognized internationally, let alone cambodia. the solution is to use only one map that both sides agree with and recognized by the world as a witness in case of any future conflict like this. that's the solution!
ពួកអាសៀមវាមិនចង់ចុះចាញ់រាជរដ្ធាភិបាលខ្មែរទេដួច្នេះអាពួកវានេះបានវាយយកដីខ្មែរមកវិញទើបបានវាអស់ចិត្តឬ?
រាប់ទាំងអាបក្សប្រឆាំងនឹងរាជរដ្ធាភិបាលខ្មែរក៏បក្សពួកវាមិនអបអរសាទរចំពោះខ្មែរបានជោគជ័យនៅឯប្រទេសព្រេសស៊ីលនោះដែរ។
បើតាមគិតបក្សពួកប្រឆាំងនៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជាសុទ្ធសឹងជាបនអាចោរសៀមទាំងអស់។
Cambodia must do the following:
1) Seal the border indefinitely by laying mines(never mind the Ottawa conventions)
2) Continue to develop and strengthen the Temple area from our side with or without UNESCO's approval of the management plan.
3) Prepare for full scale war which could result in complete destruction of Preah Vihear.
4) Take the initiative to support Muslim's fight in the South, and the Isan people.
12:09am you are absolutely fuck, you, yourself are divided Khmer, no wonder the Thai and Yuon look down at us Khmer.
Why don't you learn something new? Stop talk like Yuon puppet!
Cambodia must not negotiate with Thailand if they bring up the 4.6km of lands to the Table! tear down the Fake Map Thailand drew by itslef away..toss it into the trash bin!
ไอ้พวกหมาไทยเห่าไปได้...พวกมึงอยู่ที่ไหน ๙๐๐ กว่าปีนี้? ไม่ไช่ที่น่านเจ้าหรือ?...ไอ้พวกโจรเนรคุณ...ดินแดนสุวรรณภูมิเป็นของแขมร์ตลอดกาล! Fuck all Siem thieves...
ពួកថៃដែលទៅប្រជុំហ្នឹងវារីករាយណាស់រហូតដល់ទៅភ្លេចខ្លួនស៊ីញ៉េលើឯកសារទាំងអស់រួមទាំងឯកសារសំរាប់ជំនួយលើប្លង់អភិវឌ្ឈន៏ព្រះវិហាផងដែរ
ពួកអា Yuon វាមិនចុះចាញ់ខ្មែរទេ
ពួកវានេះយកដីខ្មែរ ទើបបានវាអស់ចិត្ត
អារដ្ធាភិបាលខ្មែរ ក៏បក្សពួកវាដែរ
បើតាមគិត បក្សអារដ្ធាភិបាលខ្មែរ
ចោរ Yuon ទាំងអស់។
I just googled and found Tai holy pussies in Bang-cock! Tai people should enlist their fame tart pussies with the World Heritage committee instead of focussing on Khmer Preah Vihear Temple!
http://creampiethais.com/
ไอ้พวกหมาไทยว่าเขมรโง่...มึงรู้หรือเปล่าว่าวัฒนธรรมแขมร์สูงมากตั้งแต่สมัยนครพนมจนถึงปัจจุบัน...สูงเหรือเกินจนถึงพวกมึงอิจฉาโขมยภาษา วัฒนธรรม และมรดกแขมร์ทั้งสิ้นมาเป็นของตน...โกหกลูกหลานมึงได้แต่ชาวโลกเขารู้, ศาลโลกก็รู้...พวกมึงหลี้ภัยหนีจากน่านเจ้ามาอยู่ถิ่นสุวรรณภูมิของแขมร์ เคยชาวแขมร์สงสารอุดหนุน ให้ที่อยู่ เป็นทาสแขมร์...รักแขมร์มาก...พูดไม่หมด...แม้แต่คำ 'พวกโจร' ในภาษามึงก็เป็นคำแขมร์! นี่แหละไอ้พวกสัตว์เดรัจฉานเนรคุณ!
Fuck all Siem thieves!
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)?
Hun Sen must have a cool head about this issue. I give this credit.
If I am the Cambodian PM, no Thai soldiers can wander freely inside that 4.6km disputed area without dugging from bullets.
Sorry no mood to play Thai idiots!
why all the fighting, this is temple area and as far as i know dedicated to SHIVA . . . .
The more you feel happy the more you will get disappointed. It is just a mater of time like listing Preah Vihear in the world heritage. Thai has been given face but the result will be the same next year. One more minister of Thailand will be charged as unpatriotic next year as he signed the papers stating all belong to Cambodia in the meeting last week.
បើគ្មានគណបក្សប្រឆាំងម្ល៉េះប្រទេសខ្មែរដូចឡាវបច្ចុប្បន្ន!ជនជាតិយួនយ៉ាងច្រើនបានក្លាយជាឡាវអស់ហើយរហូតដល់យើងស្មានថាជាឡាវ។
ចាំមើលថាគណបក្សប្រជាជនអាចរំដោះខ្លួនពីយួនបានទេ?
មិនដឹងថាតើការអះអាងរបស់គណប្រតិភូខ្មែរលើបញ្ហាព្រះវិហារពិតឬមិនពិតបើតាមសំដីរបស់សមាជិកគណកម្មការបេតិកភ័ណ្ឌភិភពលោកគឺសំណើត្រូវបានពន្យាដល់ឆ្នាំក្រោយហើយពូកសៀមកំពុងតែអបអរបែបនេះ។
Post a Comment