The Nation on Sunday
Suwit Khunkitti, head of the Thai delegation negotiating with the World Heritage Committee in Paris on management of Preah Vihear Temple, said yesterday it was highly possible Cambodia would oppose a proposal to defer the committee's meeting to a later date.
Suwit, the natural resources and environment minister, said the committee's meeting on the controversial issue could go ahead as scheduled today if there was no deal in the fifth round of prior talks with all the parties concerned.
Cambodia wants to press ahead with the World Heritage Committee's meeting on the management of 4.6-square-km space around the ancient Hindu temple.
The World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple situated on the Thai-Cambodian border, belongs to Cambodia, but stopped short of making a ruling on the ownership of land surrounding the ancient temple.
Abhisit Vejjajiva, the caretaker prime minister, said he was confident the meeting on management of the space surrounding the temple would be postponed.
Chumphol Silapa-archa, leader of Chat Thai Pattana party, said Thailand should leave the World Heritage Committee if many member countries wanted to go ahead with the meeting on management of space surrounding Phear Vihear.
An acceptance of the Cambodian bid would complicate the ownership of land in Thai territory.
"We should get out of the committee to show that we disagree with the Cambodian proposal. It's not unusual, as other countries such as the US have also done that if they disagree on big international issues.
"The World Heritage Committee has no authority on the territory issue," he said.
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