Thai PM urges Cambodian PM to look after Thais living in Cambodia

BEIJING, July 1 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Tuesday he had talked to his Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, urging him to help guarantee the personal safety of Thais living in Cambodia, and informing him about the Thai Administrative Court-issued injunction suspending his cabinet's endorsement of the Cambodian government's bid to propose the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.

The Thai premier, now making an official visit to China, told members of the Thai community in Beijing that the Preah Vihear temple controversy has been blown out of proportion as it was fiercely debated in the Thai parliament last week.

The government must follow the Administrative Court's order, Mr. Samak said, adding that Thailand would neither gain nor lose from his government approving the new map of the ancient temple drawn by the Cambodian government.

The court's action was made in response to a petition from Thailand's anti-government coalition, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which urged the court to nullify the Thai cabinet resolution of June 17 endorsing Cambodia's map of the ancient temple.

The activist group feared that the Thai cabinet endorsement would be used by Cambodia to contest Thailand's sovereignty over a still-unresolved 4.6 square kilometre area adjacent to the ancient Hindu temple complex.

Mr. Samak said he had just telephoned Mr. Hun Sen in Phnom Penh to say that as Thailand's premier he had to obey the court's order, issued last Saturday.

The Thai premier also said he had requested the Cambodian prime minister to look after the Thai embassy and Thai residents in Cambodia, and that the Thai government would undertake the same responsibility in Thailand.

His request to Prime Minister Hun Sen was made following local press reports that Thai Supreme
Commander Gen. Boonsang Niempradit had ordered the army in Northeastern Thailand which oversees the common border between the two neighbouring countries to monitor the ongoing protests by Thai villagers against listing of Preah Vihear temple through the United Nations.

The Cambodian government plans to propose the temple as a World Heritage site during a meeting of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s World Heritage Committee which begins tomorrow in Quebec, Canada.

Samak asks Hun Sen to secure Thai embassy and ensure safety of Thai people in Cambodia

Thai Government Backtracks on Temple Support

Tuesday, July 1, 2008
By SAI SILP
The Irrawady

The Thai cabinet on Tuesday withdrew its support, at least temporarily, for the listing of Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site, following an injunction granted by the Thai Administrative Court.

The injunction, granted last week, blocked a Cabinet resolution in support of the Cambodian government’s application for a World Heritage Site, after months of negotiations over the exact boundary of the land around the temple complex, located on the lower southeast border.

The injunction said the government should have sought the approval of the parliament before acting unilaterally.

Nationalist sentiments over the temple’s ownership and the boundaries of the complex have run high in both countries in recent months.

On Tuesday, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said the government will take action after studying the court’s injunction. “The government will do the right thing, as this is a big and complex issue,” Somchai said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Noppadon Pattama supported Cambodia’s application as a World Heritage Site and recommended the cabinet resolution.

Noppadon’s move backfired when the resolution evoked widespread nationalist sentiment among anti-government groups, which have been attacking the competency and effectiveness of the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.

Cambodia has vowed to push ahead on its UNESCO World Heritage Site application.

"It's their internal problem," said Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan, according to a report in The Nation newspaper on Tuesday.

"[Preah Vihear] is our temple, and we want it to receive world heritage listing," Siphan said.

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Tuesday said that he informed the Cambodian prime minister about the Thai court order and urged Cambodian authorities to secure the Thai embassy and ensure the safety of Thai people in Cambodia, following reports of tension over the issue, according to a report by the Thai News Agency.

The Thai embassy and scores of Thai-owned businesses in Cambodia were badly damaged by angry mobs a few years ago after a Thai actress made remarks considered offensive by many Cambodians.

Thai cabinet acknowledges court order on temple

BANGKOK, July 1 (TNA) -The Thai cabinet on Tuesday acknowledged an injunction granted by the country's Administrative Court suspending its endorsement of the Cambodian government's bid to propose the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site, according to Deputy Prime Minister/Education Minister Somchai Wongsawat.

Mr. Somchai said the cabinet would strictly follow the court's order, and would ask the state's legal arm, the Council of State, to review the government's options.

It is expected that the Council could come up with a solution next week, he said.

The cabinet decision came three days after the Administrative Court handed down a temporary injunction against the June 17 cabinet resolution to endorse a Cambodian map of Preah Vihear temple, as well as the Thai-Cambodian Joint Cmmunique signed by Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An on June 18.

The joint communique provided Thailand's support for Cambodia's planned application to register Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site during a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s World Heritage Committee annual meeting in Quebec, Canada starting Wednesday.

The International Court of Justice awarded the ancient temple to Cambodia in 1962. Both countries have historically laid claim to the site, which sits on Cambodian soil but which can only be easily accessed from Thailand.

Mr. Somchai said the Thai foreign ministry will inform the Cambodian government, UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee of the Thai Administrative Court's order.

The Thai cabinet did not discuss whether it would appeal the court's order as it prefers to wait for the findings of the Council of State first, he said.

The Thai ambassador to Canada has been asked to attend the World Heritage Committee's meeting.

Thailand withdraws heritage site support for Hindu temple

Jul 1, 2008
DPA

Bangkok - Thailand on Tuesday withdrew its support for a Cambodian proposal to list Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Cabinet decided to backtrack on support for the controversial temple's listing to obey an Administrative Court order made over the weekend, Deputy Prime Somchai Wongsavat said.

It is unclear whether the government change in stance on the listing will derail Cambodia's proposal to list the centuries-old Hindu temple at UNESCO's upcoming meeting in Geneva on July 2-10.

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, who is currently visiting China, called his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen to personally inform him of the cabinet decision and to urge him to guarantee the personal safety of Thai nationals living in Cambodia, said the Thai News Agency (TNA).

Preah Vihear, a stunning cliff-top temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, has long been a source of diplomatic spats between the two neighbouring countries.

The temple is perched on a mountain range that defines the Thai-Cambodian border.

Cambodia was awarded Preah Vihear by a World Court ruling in 1962, but when Phnom Penh attempted to list the temple as a UNESCO heritage site last year, Thailand objected on the grounds that the inscription map included land that was still subject to a border dispute.

Cambodia in May rewrote the inscription map to exclude a 4.6 square kilometres of disputed land, winning Thai government approval for the proposal on June 10.

The approval was poorly timed, coinciding with street protests and a censure debate against the Thai government. Participants in the street protests and the censure debate used the Preah Vihear issue to accuse the cabinet of 'selling off' the nation, and furthering the business interests of certain Thai politicians seeking deals in Cambodia.

The Administrative Court issued an injunction on Saturday demanding the the government end its support of the Cambodian proposal. On Tuesday, the Cabinet obeyed the order.

Thai Govt suspends UNESCO temple deal with Cambodia

Tuesday, July 01, 2008
ABC Radio Australia

Thailand's Government will not appeal a ruling that suspended its endorsement of Cambodia's bid to see a disputed Hindu temple granted World Heritage status, the foreign minister said.

Despite a long-standing territorial dispute over the 11th century Preah Vihear temple site, the Thai Cabinet voted two weeks ago to support its neighbour's application at a UNESCO meeting in Canada this week.

But anti-government protesters succeeded in obtaining an injunction last weekend from the Central Administrative Court to annul the joint communique.

"We have resolved to comply with the court's decision. We will suspend the joint communique and keep Cambodia informed," Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama told reporters after a weekly Cabinet meeting.

"Our prime minister has already told Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that we will send them an official letter," Mr Noppadon said.

The Government will seek further legal advice, Somchai Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister said.

"We will wait for advice from the Council of State, which I expect to seek in next week's meeting," Mr Somchai said.

Last week Cambodia closed the temple after more than 100 Thais marched to the compound to protest the deal.

Cambodia had planned to present the joint communique as part of its application to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to have the site listed to attract more tourists.

Cambodia last year attempted to have the ancient Hindu temple, perched on a mountaintop on the Thai-Cambodia border, listed by UNESCO. But that effort failed, amid rumours Thailand had blocked the deal.

Cambodia began seeking World Heritage status for the temple, which has long plagued relations between the two countries, nearly six years ago.

Both countries have historically laid claim to the site, which sits on Cambodian soil but can only be easily accessed from Thailand.