Var Kim HongThailand cancels visit by foreign delegations to Preah Vihear Temple
Monday, March 24, 2008
Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Thailand canceled the plan to visit Preah Vihear Temple by (delegates from) 12 foreign countries without providing any advance warning. Var Kim Hong, chairman of the border committee, who went to welcome the visitors, still remains optimist and he considers this cancellation by saying: “This could be the idea of low ranking local (Thai) officials, this is not the decision made by the Thai government at all.”
An official from the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh wrote a letter to the Cambodian government dated 12 March, confirming that, on 21 March, Thailand will lead delegates form 12 countries to visit Preah Vihear Temple, following their visit to other parts of Thailand first.
On 21 March, a helicopter was seen landing in Preah Vihear Temple, it was the Cambodian delegation led by Var Kim Hong, accompanied by officials from the Preah Vihear National Authority (PVNA). Var Kim Hong got out of the helicopter, and walked straight to the border gate at 08:00 AM to welcome the foreign delegates. However, shortly after he arrived at the border gate, he announced to the journalists present there that Thailand canceled the visit.
Var Kim Hong said: “I am leading the (Cambodian) delegation to come here, and for one, it is to welcome the delegation that the Thai government had organized which includes various embassy (officials) based in Bangkok, as well as high-ranking Thai officials, they are coming to visit the Preah Vihear Temple. We want to show the good cooperation between our two governments in order to list the revered Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site in the near future, (at the UNESCO meeting) in Quebec, Canada.”
Var Kim Hong added: “It is regrettable that we received the information indicating that the Thai side canceled this visit plan when we arrived here (border gate at Preah Vihear Temple) to welcome the delegation that Thailand organized which includes various embassies of countries who are UNESCO members.”
Var Kim Hong also said: “I think what the Thai Foreign Affairs organized was an effort made by the Thai government to help Cambodia list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site, as was decided in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2007. There, it was stated that Thailand will cooperate with Cambodia to list Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site in 2008.”
He said that he does not know whether the cancellation of the visit program was decided by Thailand’s high government level, or it was done by some administration level of the Thai government. “But Cambodia remembers that Thai PM Samak spoke very kindly to provide his support and he said that he did not oppose the effort made by the Cambodian government to include Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritgae Site. Therefore, this cancellation idea may be that of low ranking local Thai officials, and it is not the will of the Thai government,” Var Kim Hong claimed.
The 12 countries that Thailand included in the visit to Preah Vihear Temple are known to be UNSECO members involved in the listing of World Heritage Sites.
Several reporters were seen present at the Preah Vihear Temple for this visit to the temple by a 12-country delegation organized by Thailand. The majority of them were ready to ask the embassy representatives who would be coming to visit, on how they feel about Cambodia’s preparation to list the temple as part of the World Heritage Site.
Furthermore, on 08 March, Thailand publicly declared to their people that the Thai government does not oppose the listing of Preah Vihear Temple as part of a World Heritage Site, because Thailand already accepted the 1962 decision handed down by The Hague International Court of Justice.
The Preah Vihear Temple was presented as a candidate for a World Heritage Site in Christchurch, New Zealand in June 2007, and its official listing will be announced at the UNESCO meeting in Quebec, Canada, in July 2008.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Thailand canceled the plan to visit Preah Vihear Temple by (delegates from) 12 foreign countries without providing any advance warning. Var Kim Hong, chairman of the border committee, who went to welcome the visitors, still remains optimist and he considers this cancellation by saying: “This could be the idea of low ranking local (Thai) officials, this is not the decision made by the Thai government at all.”
An official from the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh wrote a letter to the Cambodian government dated 12 March, confirming that, on 21 March, Thailand will lead delegates form 12 countries to visit Preah Vihear Temple, following their visit to other parts of Thailand first.
On 21 March, a helicopter was seen landing in Preah Vihear Temple, it was the Cambodian delegation led by Var Kim Hong, accompanied by officials from the Preah Vihear National Authority (PVNA). Var Kim Hong got out of the helicopter, and walked straight to the border gate at 08:00 AM to welcome the foreign delegates. However, shortly after he arrived at the border gate, he announced to the journalists present there that Thailand canceled the visit.
Var Kim Hong said: “I am leading the (Cambodian) delegation to come here, and for one, it is to welcome the delegation that the Thai government had organized which includes various embassy (officials) based in Bangkok, as well as high-ranking Thai officials, they are coming to visit the Preah Vihear Temple. We want to show the good cooperation between our two governments in order to list the revered Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site in the near future, (at the UNESCO meeting) in Quebec, Canada.”
Var Kim Hong added: “It is regrettable that we received the information indicating that the Thai side canceled this visit plan when we arrived here (border gate at Preah Vihear Temple) to welcome the delegation that Thailand organized which includes various embassies of countries who are UNESCO members.”
Var Kim Hong also said: “I think what the Thai Foreign Affairs organized was an effort made by the Thai government to help Cambodia list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site, as was decided in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2007. There, it was stated that Thailand will cooperate with Cambodia to list Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site in 2008.”
He said that he does not know whether the cancellation of the visit program was decided by Thailand’s high government level, or it was done by some administration level of the Thai government. “But Cambodia remembers that Thai PM Samak spoke very kindly to provide his support and he said that he did not oppose the effort made by the Cambodian government to include Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritgae Site. Therefore, this cancellation idea may be that of low ranking local Thai officials, and it is not the will of the Thai government,” Var Kim Hong claimed.
The 12 countries that Thailand included in the visit to Preah Vihear Temple are known to be UNSECO members involved in the listing of World Heritage Sites.
Several reporters were seen present at the Preah Vihear Temple for this visit to the temple by a 12-country delegation organized by Thailand. The majority of them were ready to ask the embassy representatives who would be coming to visit, on how they feel about Cambodia’s preparation to list the temple as part of the World Heritage Site.
Furthermore, on 08 March, Thailand publicly declared to their people that the Thai government does not oppose the listing of Preah Vihear Temple as part of a World Heritage Site, because Thailand already accepted the 1962 decision handed down by The Hague International Court of Justice.
The Preah Vihear Temple was presented as a candidate for a World Heritage Site in Christchurch, New Zealand in June 2007, and its official listing will be announced at the UNESCO meeting in Quebec, Canada, in July 2008.
