BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's prime minister on Sunday defended his country's decision to quit the U.N.'s World Heritage Convention, saying its committee's consideration of a Cambodian plan to manage a protected temple on Thailand's border would increase tensions.
Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters it didn't make sense for Cambodia to unilaterally offer a plan for managing the Preah Vihear temple site, which is mostly easily accessible through land under dispute by both countries. At least 20 people have died in attacks in the area surrounding the temple since 2008, when the site received World Heritage status over Thailand's objections.
Thailand announced its withdrawal from the convention on Saturday at a meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris. The chief of its delegation there, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, said Thailand was withdrawing because the committee's consideration of Cambodia's plan could threaten Thai sovereignty and territory. Thailand was also part of the 21-member committee.
Thailand says the management plan should not be taken up until after the border is clearly demarcated.
"We are reaffirming that it simply doesn't make sense to accept the idea that Cambodia unilaterally can push ahead with the management of the temple as a World Heritage property," Abhisit said Sunday. "It clearly will have an effect on the dispute that is ongoing and it will only contribute to further tension and greater risk of violence."
The border dispute has stirred nationalist sentiment on both sides, but analysts say the dispute is largely driven by domestic tensions within each country rather than tensions between them. Abhisit and his Democrat Party are trailing in polls for a July 2 general election, and rallying around the flag could give them a boost.
The conflict involves small swaths of land along the border that have been disputed for more than half a century. Armed clashes have broken out six times since 2008, but neither side appears to be trying to capture territory, and few believe the conflict will evolve into full-scale war.
The International Court of Justice gave Cambodia control of the temple in 1962. Thailand says it does not contest that ruling, though hardline nationalists oppose it.
Cambodia in May appealed to the world court for a clarification of the 1962 ruling and to order Thailand to cease hostilities. It argued in its written application that the court's opinion "could then serve as a basis for a final resolution of this dispute through negotiation or any other peaceful means."
5 comments:
WAS THIS YOUR LAST CARD FROM YOUR
SLEEVE MR. ABHISIT. IF THAT WAS THE
CASE, BYE BYE MR. PRIME MINISTER, YOUR POLITICAL CAREER IS FINISHED.
MAY LORD BUDDHA GUIDE YOU IN THE RIGHT ROAD FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. WHO'S NEXT???
AS FAR AS THE PLAN FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE SITE,MAKING SENSE OR NOT FOR YOU, IT NONE OF YOUR (SIAMESES) BUSINESS
, AND THIS IS SIMPLY " HUMAN COMMON
SENSE ".
SI ENG KRUY
Thailand has withdrawn from UNESCO's World Heritage convention.
Bravo! Thailand would be even better off if it withdraw from the UN Organization. Thailand is a spoiled little brat which thinks of itself as a super power.
the so-called siem border dispute was already officially demarcated since 1907, stupid siem thugs! siem thugs are heading in a lonely world of their own; afterall, they defy all the world law, etc; so it makes sense to fire siem thugs for violation of the world law, etc! it goes to show that siem was always rankling with anything and everything not to their liking and so forth. well, the law is the law, siem thugs must learn to accept that and live wit it, ok! the world doesn't evolve around siem country, you know! cambodia had been bullied enough and lost enough of our temples, lands, territories, etc, etc to siem thugs since the dark ages era up to now, so it is time for the world to put a stop to this siem thugs' stealing and robbing of khmer lands, khmer temples, khmer territories, etc, etc, really! god bless cambodia and all our beautiful khmer people and citizens.
the way i see it, siem thugs' way is like a society or town without a stop light. imagine that! all along, the world thought siem country and people were better than cambodia due to cambodia's civil war, social upheaval, etc... thank god, the world is now starting to question siem's ability and credential, etc; i have no doubt siem thugs are full of shit and are heading in that direction as well! siem thugs just doesn't know when to stop rankling and violating the law, etc. just because their thug-like ancestors did it to cambodia during cambodia's dark ages era, their posterity seemed to assume the same way forever! now, that is called stupid siem thugs, really!
SHADDUP...KEEP ON DREAMIN'!
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