TALKING POINTS
The decision to discuss the various reports at the 35th Session of the World Heritage Committee next year has no impact on the implementation of the Management Plan for the conservation of the Temple of Preah Vihear. There is no requirement that the Committee approves our plan because the role of the World Heritage Committee is not to approve or disapprove any progress report or Management Plan submitted by a State party, but to review those documents in order to take note. . The conservation work is too important to be delayed.
The Royal Government has support in implementation of the Management Plan from the Report issued by the World Heritage Centre, which serves as the Secretariat to the World Heritage Committee. Relying upon the evaluation conducted by the WHC, and the technical experts at ICOMOS and other Advisory Bodies, Cambodia will proceed with implementation.
The Royal Government also won praise from a number of World Heritage Committee related organizations for the actions taken in the last year to improve conservation of the Preah Vihear Temple. These include landscaping, enlargement of the buffer zone, a village relocation, creation of an eco-global Museum, etc.
The World Heritage Committee also congratulated and supports steps taken by the Royal Government to create an international coordinating committee to support its conservation efforts.
Thus, Thailand failed in its efforts to derail the Management Plan, failed in its efforts to have the Temple inscribed by the two countries, and failed in its efforts to have joint management. However, the Committee’s did decide to allow additional time for the distribution and consideration of the documents, which will be discussed at the next Session. This decision in no way impedes our implementation of the Management Plan.
The only argument raised by the Thai delegation was that the reports and other documents were given to them too late. However, the record shows that the Management Plan and the Report on the Conservation of the Temple of Preah Vihear were delivered to the World Heritage Centre in January 2010, ahead of the schedule as decided by the World Heritage Committee.
It should be noted, however, that even after having received the WHC Report for 3 days, the Thai delegation had no substantive comment on the 4 page report.
The delay tactics of Thailand, which has occurred at each of the last 4 Sessions of the World Heritage Committee, is tantamount to the interference in the internal affairs of Cambodia. Since the 1962 decision of the International Court of Justice, the Temple of Preah Vihear and the area adjacent to it has been legally judged to be on Cambodian territory. Thus, Thailand is not a party at interest in the matter of Preah Vihear Temple, including its conservation.
The Royal Government has support in implementation of the Management Plan from the Report issued by the World Heritage Centre, which serves as the Secretariat to the World Heritage Committee. Relying upon the evaluation conducted by the WHC, and the technical experts at ICOMOS and other Advisory Bodies, Cambodia will proceed with implementation.
The Royal Government also won praise from a number of World Heritage Committee related organizations for the actions taken in the last year to improve conservation of the Preah Vihear Temple. These include landscaping, enlargement of the buffer zone, a village relocation, creation of an eco-global Museum, etc.
The World Heritage Committee also congratulated and supports steps taken by the Royal Government to create an international coordinating committee to support its conservation efforts.
Thus, Thailand failed in its efforts to derail the Management Plan, failed in its efforts to have the Temple inscribed by the two countries, and failed in its efforts to have joint management. However, the Committee’s did decide to allow additional time for the distribution and consideration of the documents, which will be discussed at the next Session. This decision in no way impedes our implementation of the Management Plan.
The only argument raised by the Thai delegation was that the reports and other documents were given to them too late. However, the record shows that the Management Plan and the Report on the Conservation of the Temple of Preah Vihear were delivered to the World Heritage Centre in January 2010, ahead of the schedule as decided by the World Heritage Committee.
It should be noted, however, that even after having received the WHC Report for 3 days, the Thai delegation had no substantive comment on the 4 page report.
The delay tactics of Thailand, which has occurred at each of the last 4 Sessions of the World Heritage Committee, is tantamount to the interference in the internal affairs of Cambodia. Since the 1962 decision of the International Court of Justice, the Temple of Preah Vihear and the area adjacent to it has been legally judged to be on Cambodian territory. Thus, Thailand is not a party at interest in the matter of Preah Vihear Temple, including its conservation.
13 comments:
US Embassy
Chaktomok Hall, Phnom Penh
July 22, 2010
Closing Remarks by Ambassador Carol Rodley at Academic Symposium
I’d like to thank all of the participants for making this such a fascinating and productive two days of discussions. It was unprecedented to gather such a group of experts on the U.S.-Cambodia relationship, and the discussions indeed lived up to the billing.
A lot has happened over the past 60 years, of course, and many of the key events we discussed resonated beyond Cambodia’s borders. But what struck me more than any single event was the resilience that we saw in those 60 years.
First, there was the resilience of the Cambodian people. They have shown great optimism and determination to endure decades of turmoil and come out on the other side, ready to build a prosperous and democratic nation.
The U.S.-Cambodian relationship has shown its share of resilience, too. As one would expect with any relationship between two nations, there were high points and missteps, periods of strength and periods of misunderstanding.
But the relationship has endured, and it is stronger now than it has ever been before. We are partnering in many areas that promote our common interests, including military and law enforcement cooperation, counterterrorism and POW/MIA matters, and economic development, among many others.
The United States is providing over $105 million in assistance this year, which includes programs in health, education, economic development and accountability in government. U.S. assistance is supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia’s humanitarian and development priorities, just as it did nearly 60 years ago when the original aid program was launched in 1955.
As we look forward to the next 60 years, I believe we have much to be optimistic about. We look forward to increasing and deepening our ties and working toward our mutual goals. While there is still much work to be done, I am confident that our common interests will see us through to an even stronger future together. Thank you.
Cambodia don't need approval from Unesco, it already been done, just keep on with the plans! Thailand can go screw themselves...
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)?
thailand use cambodia as their scapgoats for their politic. where were thai troop when khmer rouge station at preah vihear temple?don' they afraid of khmer rouge shoot on their shithead? now they say 4.6km land belong to them.take France to court to get provinces of sisaket, surin, buriram ect... so we don't have this problem. There are still millions of cambodian and cambodian culture in that provinces as the wittness. They want 4.6km of land so the cambodian have noway to transport goods and people to the temple. This is what thai king said: let the cambodian have the temple we take the land surround it and let the cambodian use robe to claim up there.This is what the invader have in mind.
ICOMOS's Headquarters should relocate to Cambodia, a land of World Heritage Sites.
i know, cambodia should ask icomos headquarter to be relocated to cambodia because he are stable, peaceful and beginning to change, reform, grow both economically and politically, etc... phnom penh, siem reap and many more of our cities and provinces are becoming more and more modernized, slowly but surely, really! god bless cambodia. i bet greedy pad thugs are going to protest that too!
8:31am, you have stated your wordings clearly with reasonable source, it is a 100% true that it belong to Cambodian, even a small child can understand that.
I am proud of you as what you have said is meaningful.
In light of the news release by the council of ministers of Cambodia...the Thai medias, on the other hand, painted a different story.
This is all politics that the PAD is trying to manipilate Thai popular opinions and to cling on to power.
Shame on Mr. Abhisit and his cohorts.
8:31 am
Very true! Two thumbs up!
GOOGLE IS TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE...
Google is totally irresponsible for publishing incorrect boundary lines of Cambodia, not conforming to UN map. If left uncheck, this could cause irreparable harm to the territorial integrity of Cambodia.
The Royal Government of Cambodia recently made a request to Google concerning this issue over the Preah Vihear, Poipet and other areas. Revisions have been made by Google, but still inaccurate per UN recognized map.
1. Google’s Preah Vihear area is still incorrect per the 1904-07 Franco-Siamese treaty map of Annex I which was deposited at UN. Google chose to follow the American army map instead showing the 4.6 km2 as part of Thailand. The line further cut into the entry way of Preah Vihear temple with a broken dash line. Totally wrong, totally impartial! Dash line would yield to Thai for future claims. It should be a solid line further north by 300 m.
2. In Poipet, the previous boundary line was completely wrong, showing Angkor Wat entry gate and several Cambodian casinos on the Thai side. After Google’s recent revision, the error still persists. The actual boundary line is in the middle of O’Chrov River bridge, not 200 m over the bridge into Khmer land.
3. The boundary line of Kampuchea-Vietnam is still incorrect because there was no attempt by the RGC to demand correction. The Prek Krabao canal is the actual boundary between Cambodia and Vietnam. However, Google’s map shows it at least 500 m to 1000 m west of the canal. Now this is insane and reckless!
4. The RGC must send an official letter to the Vietnamese government demanding an explanation. What on earth were their motives building highways 1-3 km way inside the Cambodian side of Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri provinces. Do the Vietnamese think that the Cambodia-Vietnam boundary lines are transparent and not official?
5. All the boundary lines around Cambodia with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam must be analyzed and scrutinized to ensure correctness per Cambodia UN deposited map.
Khmer people lost so much already. It is our duty in each generation to verify and safeguard the land that we have left. If the International Court of Justice decision over Preah Vihear Temple in 1962, some 48 years ago has no meaning to the Thais, who else can protect our homeland but ourselves…
Khmer Battambang
08.01.10
Cambodians should send someone different from a monkey, it is able only to clim coconut tree, it doesn't understand laws at all, even with its laws PhD degree.
I agree! cambodia should find someone else could talk better and brighter than MR SOK AN? for what i have heard from Unesco, they said, Mr. Sok An has submited to the plans to the wrong committees??
I agree with the content of this posting from the council ministers. The Thai's solution to delay and delay. They have no real intention to solve the Preah Vihear's issue. Cambodia must move on ahead to solve it for ourselves. To put simple, the Thai government is the trouble some government for Cambodia.
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