Wed, 02 Jul 2008
DPA
Bangkok - Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama will fly to Quebec, Canada, this week to personally oppose a Cambodian proposal to list Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). "Thailand's position is that we will oppose the Cambodian proposal to list the temple as a World Heritage Site," Noppadon told a press conference. He will soon fly to Quebec where the 21-member World Heritage Committee is meeting July 2 to 10 to approve new sites.
Thailand blocked Cambodia's efforts to list Preah Vihear, a centuries-old Hindu temple perched on a cliff that defines the Thai-Cambodian border, in both 2006 and 2007 on the grounds that the inscription map included a 4.6 square kilometres piece of land in the temple compound that is still subject to a border dispute.
Cambodia redrew the map in May, to exclude the disputed territory, and on June 17 won the Thai government's backing to the UNESCO site proposal but the issue became highly politicized during street protests and a censure debate against Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his cabinet.
The Thai Cabinet on Tuesday decided to backtrack on support for the controversial temple's listing to obey an Administrative Court order made over the weekend.
It is unclear whether the government change in stance on the listing will derail Cambodia's proposal to list the temple at UNESCO's meeting in Quebec this week.
Although the World Heritage Committee cannot approve a site that is subject to a border dispute, Cambodia may argue that since it altered its map the temple is no longer under dispute.
Preah Vihear is still on the agenda for the World Heritage Committee, according to UNESCO.
"Proposed cultural sites from the Asia-Pacific region include: the Sacred Site of the Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia), Fujian Tulou (China), Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), Mountain Railways of India - serial extension to include the Kalka Shimla Railway- (India), the River Island of Majuli in midstream of the Brahmaputra River in Assam (India), Cultural Landscape of Bali Province (Indonesia), Hiraizumi - Cultural Landscape Associated with Pure Land Buddhist Cosmology (Japan), Sulamain-Too Sacred Mountain (Kyrgyzstan), Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca: Melaka and George Town (Malaysia), and Chief Roi Mata's Domain (Vanuatu)," said a UNESCO.
Preah Vihear, a stunning clifftop temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, has long been a source of diplomatic spats between the two neighbouring countries.
Cambodia was awarded Preah Vihear by a World Court ruling.
Thailand blocked Cambodia's efforts to list Preah Vihear, a centuries-old Hindu temple perched on a cliff that defines the Thai-Cambodian border, in both 2006 and 2007 on the grounds that the inscription map included a 4.6 square kilometres piece of land in the temple compound that is still subject to a border dispute.
Cambodia redrew the map in May, to exclude the disputed territory, and on June 17 won the Thai government's backing to the UNESCO site proposal but the issue became highly politicized during street protests and a censure debate against Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his cabinet.
The Thai Cabinet on Tuesday decided to backtrack on support for the controversial temple's listing to obey an Administrative Court order made over the weekend.
It is unclear whether the government change in stance on the listing will derail Cambodia's proposal to list the temple at UNESCO's meeting in Quebec this week.
Although the World Heritage Committee cannot approve a site that is subject to a border dispute, Cambodia may argue that since it altered its map the temple is no longer under dispute.
Preah Vihear is still on the agenda for the World Heritage Committee, according to UNESCO.
"Proposed cultural sites from the Asia-Pacific region include: the Sacred Site of the Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia), Fujian Tulou (China), Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), Mountain Railways of India - serial extension to include the Kalka Shimla Railway- (India), the River Island of Majuli in midstream of the Brahmaputra River in Assam (India), Cultural Landscape of Bali Province (Indonesia), Hiraizumi - Cultural Landscape Associated with Pure Land Buddhist Cosmology (Japan), Sulamain-Too Sacred Mountain (Kyrgyzstan), Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca: Melaka and George Town (Malaysia), and Chief Roi Mata's Domain (Vanuatu)," said a UNESCO.
Preah Vihear, a stunning clifftop temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, has long been a source of diplomatic spats between the two neighbouring countries.
Cambodia was awarded Preah Vihear by a World Court ruling.
