The Nation/Asia News Network
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva interpreted a letter from the Cambodian king's adviser as a welcome gesture, saying the idea to make the Preah Vihear a symbol of reconciliation between the two countries sounded good.
"The Preah Vihear has historical and cultural values which could create peace and reconciliation between the people of two countries," he said.
"But if we take advantage of the issue for territorial boundary purposes, people on both sides won't accept it."
The Thai government has objected to the world heritage inscription on the Preah Vihear for fear of territory loss in the disputed areas adjacent to the temple.
In a letter to Abhisit recently, Prince Sisowath Thomico, an adviser to King Norodom Sihamoni, said the two countries should not use the territorial dispute to spoil "harmony" in the region.
"Raising territorial claims is a futile attempt that flies in the face of history, and that harms our people by diverting significant resources that could otherwise be invested in development," the prince's letter was quoted as saying by the Phnom Penh Post.
Abhisit acknowledged the letter but said he had not yet received the copy. It was unclear whether the letter is a personal idea or reflects real opinion in the Cambodian government, he said.
Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the Thai government interpreted the letter as a personal one to express goodwill and cordial relations between the two countries.
The Foreign Ministry would read and offer an official interpretation of the letter later, he said.
The letter was sent when Thailand and Cambodia were both claiming victory over the World Heritage Committee's decision.
Thailand saw a victory in the committee's decision to consider the temple management plan at its next session in 2011, rather than reading reports submitted by Cambodia during the session in Brazil last week.
Thailand expressed its concern that Cambodia might take the areas to the west and north of the temple, which are subject of a border dispute with Thailand, as buffer zones for the heritage-listed property.
Cambodia argued it had not taken the areas - and the committee decision would not deter it from implementing the plan it had submitted to the committee months ago.
Nationalist movements in Thailand are pressuring the government to oppose all Cambodian moves and activities at the Preah Vihear. They called on the government to use military force to exercise 'Thai sovereignty' in the disputed areas near the temple. "Peaceful ways might cause loss of territory," said Panthep Puapongpan, spokesman of the People's Alliance for Democracy.
Phnom Penh blamed Abhisit's government for provoking nationalism and for giving out misleading information over the world heritage for political gain.
The Preah Vihear's status was ruled on by the International Court of Justice in 1962. It is situated in territory under sovereignty of Cambodia, but nationalists in Thailand and Abhisit's government claim only the stone temple ruin belongs to Cambodia, not the surrounding areas.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen told the Cambodian people there was nothing to worry about over the border issue with Thailand, despite feelings heating up. The military leaders of both sides met and agreed to keep their troops in their stations.
Despite the current calm, Hun Sen said his troops were ready to protect the border from intrusion.
"The Preah Vihear has historical and cultural values which could create peace and reconciliation between the people of two countries," he said.
"But if we take advantage of the issue for territorial boundary purposes, people on both sides won't accept it."
The Thai government has objected to the world heritage inscription on the Preah Vihear for fear of territory loss in the disputed areas adjacent to the temple.
In a letter to Abhisit recently, Prince Sisowath Thomico, an adviser to King Norodom Sihamoni, said the two countries should not use the territorial dispute to spoil "harmony" in the region.
"Raising territorial claims is a futile attempt that flies in the face of history, and that harms our people by diverting significant resources that could otherwise be invested in development," the prince's letter was quoted as saying by the Phnom Penh Post.
Abhisit acknowledged the letter but said he had not yet received the copy. It was unclear whether the letter is a personal idea or reflects real opinion in the Cambodian government, he said.
Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the Thai government interpreted the letter as a personal one to express goodwill and cordial relations between the two countries.
The Foreign Ministry would read and offer an official interpretation of the letter later, he said.
The letter was sent when Thailand and Cambodia were both claiming victory over the World Heritage Committee's decision.
Thailand saw a victory in the committee's decision to consider the temple management plan at its next session in 2011, rather than reading reports submitted by Cambodia during the session in Brazil last week.
Thailand expressed its concern that Cambodia might take the areas to the west and north of the temple, which are subject of a border dispute with Thailand, as buffer zones for the heritage-listed property.
Cambodia argued it had not taken the areas - and the committee decision would not deter it from implementing the plan it had submitted to the committee months ago.
Nationalist movements in Thailand are pressuring the government to oppose all Cambodian moves and activities at the Preah Vihear. They called on the government to use military force to exercise 'Thai sovereignty' in the disputed areas near the temple. "Peaceful ways might cause loss of territory," said Panthep Puapongpan, spokesman of the People's Alliance for Democracy.
Phnom Penh blamed Abhisit's government for provoking nationalism and for giving out misleading information over the world heritage for political gain.
The Preah Vihear's status was ruled on by the International Court of Justice in 1962. It is situated in territory under sovereignty of Cambodia, but nationalists in Thailand and Abhisit's government claim only the stone temple ruin belongs to Cambodia, not the surrounding areas.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen told the Cambodian people there was nothing to worry about over the border issue with Thailand, despite feelings heating up. The military leaders of both sides met and agreed to keep their troops in their stations.
Despite the current calm, Hun Sen said his troops were ready to protect the border from intrusion.
9 comments:
Dear abhisit,
Yes, the idea to make the Preah Vihear Temple a symbol of reconciliation between the two countries sounded good but first You must to abandon immediatly your politics of aggression which is an act of savagery in it 21th century.
You know very well The Preah Vihear temple and the 4.6 sq km
land are in Cambodia.
Cambodia must not give in to the Thai's trick to capitalize on the peace talk. but in fact demanding to get something that could give us headache again in the future. Please make everything clear to the Thais...about Preah Vihear. Please do not give them a hand to do anything with PV. They can develop on their side once the demarcation is done. Please, please do not let them have anything to do with our side... We do not need Thai involvement.
Preah Vihear is a symbolic, and is linked to Khmer royalty. Thus, it is appropriate that there should be a representation from the royal family of Cambodia on the decision how to oversea this temple.
It is important to us Khmer, and no doubt to the Khmer royal family, that we Khmer maintain our temple for the benefit of all of the descendants of the Khmer ancestors and forefather who built our temple.
Having said that, we welcome Thai's interest in preserving this "common" heritage. Common, to us, only if that means that the Khmer-Thais, the Thai-Kuis, and the Tha-Mon, which are the locals and original inhabitants consisting of our ancient Khmer fabric society, will gain the large benefit of the development of their ancestral heritage.
We are not interested in doing business deal just so Thailand can come stake a claim and make profit for their own country and government while our families, and members of the Khmer descendants who should bear the grace of this development are left behind, discouraged from learning their own language and culture and proudly proclaiming their identity.
To me, if I am a Khmer royalty and Khmer official, this is foremost important and any dealing of "reconciliation" management of the temple will have to explicitly list those groups in Thai society as the main beneficiaries from the project on the Thai side of the border. This has to be put down on paper before it is sign.
And there has to be accountable transparency where Cambodia can check Thailand on it's condition.
Otherwise, Thailand, have neither cultural rights, nor historical rights to the properties of the Khmer people.
Your reconciliation, Mr. Abishit, should start with funding more Khmer indigenous language education and increasing capacity and school like Mr. Cheymonkol's project, except on larger scale.
Let us see that first then we can think about whether the bigger condition of Preah Vihear and the benefits to former subjects of the Khmer empire can be met by Thailand.
9:55pM! doesn't all Cambodia and its people is big interst to the Royal Family????? We pay their living except Shihanouk he get money from China from the pay back he sold us out in Vietnamese ware and support ah Kwack Hun Xen in saling Cambodian now!
thailand gov't first need to stop mistreating our khmer brothers and sisters in isaan. thai gov't could do more to help those indigenous khmer people there by set aside their country's funds to help with khmer language education, khmer heritage arts, etc... before they talk to cambodia about bilateral this or that! thailand have ignore the khmer plight for too long already! otherwise, stop pretending to talk to us about bilateral ties and so forth!
10:32,
I don't think you understood my opinion. Please read again.
Let me restate it again:
All of Khmer, royal family and the Kingdom's subjects, are interested in seeing prosperity for our Khmer family and subjects of the former Khmer empire who made up the original people of ancient Cambodia - Khmer, Kui, Mon, etc.
Those people still living today in "Issan" region of Thailand surrounding the temple are living today in poverty and does not understand their own culture. They are the only "commonality" historically, and culturally that can give Thai claim any credible argument for a "common" heritage.
Thus, it is our interest that any "reconciliation" efforts by the two country to develop the disputed "area" should have the benefits of these local inhabitants, Khmer Surin, Kuis, and Mon explicitly written down on the agreement that can be accounted for.
Otherwise, Thailand can just give up any claims to "history" or "cultural" inheritance. Because it has none, and the identity or group of people that does have, the Khmer, Kuis, and Mons, are being slowly assimilated and coerced into cultural genocide.
If those people are made to no longer recognize their identity or to discouraged from proclaiming their unique culture, then Thailand have has lost completely any claims or link to our heritage. On the other hand, if Thailand encourages development, culturally and in social economic for these people, then Cambodia, as a former protector and motherland of these people have a moral obligation to share the benefits of development with them.
Though legally, we have no obligation whatsoever, as they are now subjects of Thailand and is therefore sole responsibility of Thailand to ensure their protection and development. Morally, we Khmer, a people of noble heart, compassion, and love, always look after our own family, therefore we would had the interest in the alleviation of our Khmer people's poverty whether in Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam.
fuck thailand your brain full of shit. you think your are better than khmer? fuck off your dump head you are not better than khmer. your have identity your history was khmer slave, and you are a displace people. you should behave better toward khmer people. before you look down at khmer look at yourself. your identity are, thief, no land to live, no culture no morale no identity as thai every thing you are now is khmer symblole. so fuck you back off from our temple and our land we give you enoeught.
11:06PM! why don't you go and read 9:55PM instead of restated a difference one!?????
That what 9:55PM said:
"Preah Vihear is a symbolic, and is linked to Khmer royalty. Thus, it is appropriate that there should be a representation from the royal family of Cambodia on the decision how to oversea this temple."
that;'s bull shit!
9:55pM! doesn't all of Cambodia and its people should be big interst to the Royal Family?????
We pay their living except Shihanouk he get money from China from the pay back he sold us out in Vietnamese ware and support ah Kwack Hun Xen in selling Cambodian now!
12:07,
the material restated is no different the original content. I'm sorry you can not understand it's depth.
"Preah Vihear is a symbolic, and is linked to Khmer royalty. Thus, it is appropriate that there should be a representation from the royal family of Cambodia on the decision how to oversea this temple."
This talks about the symbolic link and role that the royal family should play in easing the tension and giving reconciliation tone. How did your understanding took to mean that Khmer people should not have a big interest in Preah Vihear or that Cambodia and it's people "should be big interst to the Royal Family?????"
Sorry, you still fail to understand my comment and twice failed to make your opinion clear.
Please talk calmly and rationally, maybe I an others on this board maybe able to understand your point of view.
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