Preah Vihear 'should be jointly proposed'
Wednesday June 25, 2008
ANCHALEE KONGRUT APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
Bangkok Post
Senators asked the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation yesterday to defer consideration of the listing of Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site. They want Unesco to wait for a joint nomination for the ancient temple's listing by Thailand and Cambodia.
Their petition, with the signatures of almost 300 supporters, said such an important and disputed site should not be proposed for listing by Cambodia alone, as it borders both Thailand and Cambodia.
Phnom Penh closed the temple to visitors on Monday amid fears protests in Thailand over its listing would spread. Adjacent structures such as Sra Trao, or the ancient lake, two stupas, and ancient rocks and caves are all in Thailand.
Senator M.R. Priyanandana Rangsit urged Unesco to carefully examine all the information coming out of Cambodia, particularly details of the location of the related structures as they may not all be correct.
''People say that under the present proposal the listing of Preah Vihear may also absorb some Thai territory. But our group is looking beyond the border demarcation issue. We want to propose the best solution,'' said M.R. Priyanandana, deputy chair of the Senate committee on foreign affairs.
Sheldon Shaeffer, director of Unesco for the Asia-Pacific region, said he will send the petition to the organisation's head office in Paris.
Unesco's 21-member World Heritage Committee will begin a 10-day meeting in Quebec on July 2, with Preah Vihear on the agenda. Thailand and Cambodia will not be represented at the meeting.
Unesco adviser Richard Engelhardt said the questions raised by the senators about the integrity of the site were interesting.
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) is also opposed to the government move backing Cambodia's latest bid to have the temple registered as a World Heritage site. The PAD turned to the Administrative Court for a ruling on the matter yesterday.The court accepted its complaint and will start considering the case tomorrow.
The PAD asked the court to nullify the June 17 cabinet resolution endorsing the new map of the temple boundary and the Thai-Cambodian joint statement allowing Cambodia to propose the registration of Preah Vihear to Unesco.
Key PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila said the movement was not trying to discredit the government. It was only fighting for justice, he said.
Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said before yesterday's cabinet meeting the government was working with Cambodian authorities to reopen the temple as its closure was affecting tourism and cross-border trade.
Saman Sri-ngarm, who led a protest against the listing in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district, which adjoins the temple, reaffirmed his group would not end its rally until Cambodia withdraws its listing application.
Hang Soth, director-general of the Preah Vihear Authority, told the Associated Press yesterday that Cambodian authorities will consider reopening the entrance ''when the situation becomes normal and Thai demonstrators stop protesting in front of the temple.
''We decided to shut down the border entrance because we are afraid Thai demonstrators will reach the temple and cause problems for our people who live near the temple.'
Their petition, with the signatures of almost 300 supporters, said such an important and disputed site should not be proposed for listing by Cambodia alone, as it borders both Thailand and Cambodia.
Phnom Penh closed the temple to visitors on Monday amid fears protests in Thailand over its listing would spread. Adjacent structures such as Sra Trao, or the ancient lake, two stupas, and ancient rocks and caves are all in Thailand.
Senator M.R. Priyanandana Rangsit urged Unesco to carefully examine all the information coming out of Cambodia, particularly details of the location of the related structures as they may not all be correct.
''People say that under the present proposal the listing of Preah Vihear may also absorb some Thai territory. But our group is looking beyond the border demarcation issue. We want to propose the best solution,'' said M.R. Priyanandana, deputy chair of the Senate committee on foreign affairs.
Sheldon Shaeffer, director of Unesco for the Asia-Pacific region, said he will send the petition to the organisation's head office in Paris.
Unesco's 21-member World Heritage Committee will begin a 10-day meeting in Quebec on July 2, with Preah Vihear on the agenda. Thailand and Cambodia will not be represented at the meeting.
Unesco adviser Richard Engelhardt said the questions raised by the senators about the integrity of the site were interesting.
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) is also opposed to the government move backing Cambodia's latest bid to have the temple registered as a World Heritage site. The PAD turned to the Administrative Court for a ruling on the matter yesterday.The court accepted its complaint and will start considering the case tomorrow.
The PAD asked the court to nullify the June 17 cabinet resolution endorsing the new map of the temple boundary and the Thai-Cambodian joint statement allowing Cambodia to propose the registration of Preah Vihear to Unesco.
Key PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila said the movement was not trying to discredit the government. It was only fighting for justice, he said.
Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said before yesterday's cabinet meeting the government was working with Cambodian authorities to reopen the temple as its closure was affecting tourism and cross-border trade.
Saman Sri-ngarm, who led a protest against the listing in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district, which adjoins the temple, reaffirmed his group would not end its rally until Cambodia withdraws its listing application.
Hang Soth, director-general of the Preah Vihear Authority, told the Associated Press yesterday that Cambodian authorities will consider reopening the entrance ''when the situation becomes normal and Thai demonstrators stop protesting in front of the temple.
''We decided to shut down the border entrance because we are afraid Thai demonstrators will reach the temple and cause problems for our people who live near the temple.'
