Tensions rise as Thailand claims occupied temples

Tuesday, 05 August 2008
The Mekong Times

Thailand has claimed the ancient Ta Moan temples, occupied and fortified over the last few days by armed Thai troops, as Thai territory and is to attempt to list the larger as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cambodia remains adamant that the two 13th century temples are 200 meters inside Cambodian territory, with senior Cambodian officials warning of escalating tensions between the neighbors.

Observers have said the move is a tit-for-tat response to the lingering standoff around the ancient Preah Vihear temple, recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, much to the chagrin of many Thais.

Thailand has nominated the Ta Moan Thom temple, situated in what Thailand alleges is a disputed Thai-Cambodian border area, to be listed as a Thai UNESCO World Heritage site, the Fine Arts Department Director General Kriengkrai Sampatchalit said Monday, Xinhua reported.

The tense military standoff between Thailand and Cambodia around Preah Vihear temple now looks set to spread, with armed Thai soldiers apparently denying Cambodian forces access to the Ta Moan site, which is several hundred kilometers from Preah Vihear temple.

Kriengkrai told The Nation that UNESCO will consider the Thai nomination of the Ta Moan Thom temple, along with other temples he claimed were in the Thai provinces of Surin, Buri Ram and Nakhon Ratchasima. The Thai UNESCO submission is to be called the “Khmer Civilization Route,” and presented at the next UNESCO meeting next year,.

“It is true” the temple is not in Cambodia, he assured, instead it is located “just about 100 meters from the border in the Thai soil.” The Fine Arts Department apparently “found and registered it as one of our Thai ancient items since 1935, or about 73 years ago,” he added.

The move appeared to be supported by the Thai military – Thai Supreme Commander Gen Boonsang Niampradit said yesterday he has handed a letter to Cambodian authorities, claiming that Ta Moan Thom temple belongs to Thailand, according to Xinhua.

Cambodia does not agree.

Pai Siphan, spokesman for the Cambodian Council of Ministers, said yesterday the Cambodian government totally rejects Thai Supreme Commander General Boonsrang Niumpradit’s statement claiming that Ta Moan Thom temple belongs to Thailand. “Ta Moan Thom temple is located in the south of Cambodian territory with border marker No. 23,” he said.

“[I]n September 2001, the Thai-Cambodia General Border Committee issued a letter to halt Thailand’s activity in the region of Ta Moan Thom temple,” he added, referring to Thai infrastructure development such as road construction near the site.

Pai Siphan called the Thai deployment of nearly 1,000 troops around Ta Moan Thom a “violation” and a “threat to Cambodia’s national security.”

Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith was more diplomatic, stressing that a peaceful solution is possible, even as he explained the background to the Thai deployment. “The Thai side always claims that Ta Moan temple is located in Thai territory because, in times of war, the coalition government allowed Thai troops to settle over there in order to prevent the attack by [Khmer Rouge] Democratic Kampuchea troops,” he said.

Khieu Kanharith stated that Cambodia has legal evidence, including documents and maps, which prove that Ta Moan Thom temple is in Cambodian territory.

He warned that Thailand will harm its international reputation and lose national pride if it continues territorial violations.

Running the gauntlet of such serious risks, Thailand does want to talk, Xinhua claimed, with the newly appointed Thai Foreign Minister Dej Bunnag looking to hold a second round of meetings with his Cambodian counterpart in Siem Reap. Thai Supreme Commander Gen Boonsang Niampradit said the decision to withdraw Thai soldiers from the ancient temples will have to be discussed, as the matter is sensitive, complex and could affect the stability of both nations. Still, he said the talks would be an attempt to ease military and diplomatic stand-off between the two countries.

But Cambodian Information Minister Khieu Kanharith scotched that possibility, according to DPA. He said talks between the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand are over for now – at least until Cambodia forms a new government, expected in late September.

Instead, discussions would be temporarily left to the border committees on both sides, he said.

Growing tensions over ancient sites along Cambodia’s northern border seem to auger badly for pending Thai-Cambodian negotiations over disputed sea borders that potentially hold rich oil fields.

Thailand in wrangle with Cambodia over second disputed border temple [-Thailand aks to name Ta Moan temple as a World Heritage site]

By Shen Min

BANGKOK, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- With the Preah Vihear temple issue still hanging on, Thailand and Cambodia have now engaged themselves in a new wrangle regarding another ancient temple on the disputed border.

This time it is about Ta Moan Thom temple, a 13th-century Khmer-style temple, or "Prasat" as Thais call, which is situated on Thai-Cambodian border between in Phnom Dongrek district, Surin province in northeastern Thailand and Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province.

Responding to latest reports that Cambodia has accused Thai soldiers of occupying Ta Moan Thom temple, over which Cambodian authorities also claimed ownership, the Royal Thai Army issued a statement on Monday saying that "Thai military deploying at Ta Moan Thom has their duty to look after the border area as usual. They have continuously done this mission for a long time."

"Thai military has been stationed on Thai site and never encroached into neighboring country. The situation in that area is still normal, military of both countries has closely coordinated to prevent crashes and any misunderstanding," the statement said.

It also said that the Thai Army will "do anything to protect the sovereignty of the nation" in line with the principle of maintaining good relation between two countries.

Earlier on Monday, Thailand's Supreme Commander Gen Boonsang Niampradit said that he has handed a letter to Cambodian authorities, stating Thailand's sovereignty over the land at the Ta Moan Thom temple.

Meanwhile, Thailand's Fine Arts Department has nominated the Khmer-style Ta Muen Thom temple, situated on disputed Thai-Cambodian border area, to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the department's director general Kriengkrai Sampatchalit said Monday.

Kriengkrai was quoted by local media as saying that the UNESCO is scheduled to consider the Thai nomination of the Ta Moan Thom as well as other Khmer-style temples in Thailand's northeastern provinces Surin, Buri Ram and Nakhon Ratchasima under "the Khmer Civilization Route" during its meeting next year.

This move will be naturally viewed as a tit-for-tat pose to Cambodia's earlier successful bid to list the Preah Vihear temple as the World Heritage Site.

According to Kriengkrai, the Ta Moan Thom is located "just about 100 meters from the border in the Thai soil." The Fine Arts Department discovered and registered it as one of Thai ancient items in 1935, or about 73 years ago, he said.

The Thai side has since then renovated it and opened it for public long time ago, he said, adding the Cambodian government has acknowledged the renovation and all activities related to the place.

Kriengkrai responded to a recent report that the Cambodian troops tried to cross the border to visit the place, but was declined by the Thai army.

He said Ta Moan Thom has usually welcomed all visitors but the Thai army stepped in to take care of the Khmer visit because they came in uniform and were armed with weapons.

Nationalist sentiment has grown in both countries since Cambodia's bid to list the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple situated at a disputed border area as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Thailand then withdrew its support, with then Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama sacrificing his job to public emotion and judiciary oppugn, but it did not stop the UNESCO from adding the Preah Vihear to the World Heritage list last month.

Thai and Cambodian military have beefed up military presence along the disputed border since July 15 after three Thais including a monk were briefly detained by Cambodian soldiers for breaking into the temple, which had been closed to the public by Cambodian authorities as border tension rose.

On Monday, the Supreme Commander Boonsang also said the Thai army will provide relevant information for the Foreign Ministry for consideration before negotiating with its Cambodian counterpart over the Preah Vihear temple issue.

Thai newly appointed Foreign Minister Dej Bunnag is expected to hold a second round meeting with his Cambodian counterpart in SiemReap, Cambodia in an attempt to ease military and diplomatic stand-off between the two countries resulting from the Preah Vihear dispute.

The July 28 talks between the two sides produced no breakthrough but a joint statement in which the two countries agree no "adjusting military deployment" along the disputed border and act with restraint.

However, one week after the meeting, the two sides have shown no sign of reducing troops stationed there.

Boonsang said the withdrawal of troops has to be carefully discussed as the issue is sensitive, complicated and could affect the two nations' sovereignty.