Fresh tensions over temple [-Thailand flip-flopping as usual]

A CMAC deminer rests at Preah Vihear temple on November 7. (Photo by: HENG CHIVOAN)

Thursday, 20 November 2008
Written by Brendan Brady and Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post

Following a flag-raising ceremony on November 7, Thailand seems likely to backtrack on previous support for Cambodia's claim to Preah Vihear

CAMBODIA'S flag-raising ceremony at Preah Vihear temple last week may have sparked a new series of diplomatic hostilities with its neighbour, as there is movement in the Thai government to backtrack on its previous support for Cambodia's right to lay claim to the ancient temple, according to Thai media.

The Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry announced Tuesday that it would ask the Cabinet to retract the original three resolutions from May and June giving Cambodia permission to unilaterally seek the listing of Preah Vihear as a Unesco World Heritage site, according to reports in the English-language daily The Nation.

But Koy Kuong, an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the Post that Unesco's approval of the listing could not be amended.

He attributed the Thai Foreign Ministry's reported plans to "political infighting", and said they would not substantially damage negotiations over border demarcation.

Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said that "Unesco is not involved in this kind of politicking".

"Cambodia's inscription is under international protection" and cannot be reversed, he added.

He said Cambodia's internationally-recognised ownership of the temple was reaffirmed by the November 7 ceremony at which its officials raised the national and Unesco flags on its grounds - a move that prompted Thailand to lodge an official complaint with Cambodia, claiming parts of the ceremony took place on Thai soil.

UNESCO is not involved in this kind of politicking.

The Cambodian Foreign Affairs Ministry said it was preparing a response to be released "as soon as possible".

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, said the prolonged civil unrest in Bangkok has significantly hindered the Thai government's ability to advance consistent policies - a problem, he said, that will hurt its image as a reliable negotiator.

"The new constitution has been a major roadblock to the Thai government when trying to move forward in negotiations since it has created many new terms and conditions."

Most relevant to the border dispute, it requires that any treaty with a foreign government be approved by parliament, he said, adding that its struggles in adjusting to new rules of conduct would not excuse the Thai government from reneging on previously held agreements.

"When a country walks out of a treaty, its image is going to be hurt," he said.

Khem Sophoan, director general of the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), said Thai claims that Cambodia had established new land mine fields along the shared border were unfounded.

Cambodia will address the claims during meetings beginning Monday in Geneva with the UN and international organisations involved in de-mining, according to Heng Ratana, deputy director general of CMAC, who will attend the talks.

Preah Vihear Authority plans to complain against Thailand

Thai M-79 bullet marks on one Naga statue in Preah Vihear temple (Photo: Samnang, Koh Santepheap)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Officials of the Preah Vihear Authority said that Cambodia plans to complain against Thailand to the UN about the shooting by Thai soldiers on two Naga statues facing the north. The Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper quoted an anonymous official as saying that Preah Vihear is listed as a World Heritage site, and now Thai soldiers violated international laws which stipulated that no one can touch upon antiquities protected under the UNESCO World Heritage list. Bullets pockmarked two Naga statues along the stairway to the Preah Vihear temple, therefore, Thai troops must bear responsibility for their ambition in trying to take Preah Vihear temple and turning it into their properties.

Preah Vihear to attract more tourists to Cambodia as World Heritage Site status

PHNOM PENH, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian Association of Travel Agencies (CATA) expected that the Preah Vihear Temple in the eponymous province of the country will draw more tourists, as it has become a World Heritage Site, national media said Thursday.

"Just the novelty factor of the Preah Vihear Temple being on the list (of the World Herigage Site), it will attract more tourists from the world than before," CATA president Ho Vandy told local newspaper the Mekong Times.

However, urgent work needs to be done on the temple's tourism infrastructure and the private sector is ready to cooperate, he said.

Hang Soth, director general of the recently formed Preah Vihear National Authority (PVNA), said that the government is developing the infrastructure in the region.

"We are developing all sectors including roads, restaurants and accommodation for tourists," he added.

Last year, PVNA reported that about 300 to 400 domestic and foreign tourists visited the temple each day.

Most of the tourists currently approach the temple from the Thai side as Cambodia lacks adequate road access.

The Preah Vihear Temple, which straddles the Thai-Cambodian border atop the Dangrek Mountain, was listed as a World Heritage Site on July 7 by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.

The typical Khmer-style architecture was build in C.D. 10 to 12and is now situated some 117 km to the north of Phnom Penh.

Editor: An Lu

Political Cartoon: Siem Fire-Game

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Preah Vihear: Thailand's main interest is tourist dollars

Preah Vihear: Bid to delay unesco decision

June 30, 2008
The Nation

Thai World Heritage panel chief expects positive response to plea

Thailand will ask Unesco to delay a decision on Cambodia's proposal to list Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site, said Pongpol Adireksarn, head of Thailand's World Heritage Committee.

His statement followed the Central Administrative Court injunction on Saturday against the Thai government supporting Cambodia's bid.

The court said the position taken by the government "might undermine Thailand's future standing on the territorial dispute". The government communique gave Cambodia's bid "active support", the ruling said.

The Unesco World Heritage Committee is meeting from Wednesday till July 10 in Quebec, Canada.

Pongpol cited Unesco's Article 11, Item 3, which states that listing of World Heritage sites that straddle two countries' territories cannot be done without endorsement from both sides.

He expected the committee would respond positively to the appeal.

Pongpol said the proposal to Unesco to list Preah Vihear should be submitted jointly by both countries, which is similar to the position Thailand took on the issue last year. He said he would seek Cambodia's cooperation at the Quebec meeting.

"This temple should unite instead of divide us. This is why we are suggesting a joint application," Pongpol said.

Pongpol said the temple should be a major tourist attraction for both countries. "If there is conflict, no tourists will come to visit because they fear danger," he added. "We can both take care of the temples and of the tourists."

Separately, Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Veerasak Futrakul dismissed growing fears that the court injunction would send Thai-Cambodian ties into a tailspin.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand Ung Sean, he said bilateral ties had not been affected by the court's order and Phnom Penh considered the ruling, as well the raising of the issue during last week's no-confidence debate in Parliament, as Thailand's domestic matter.

Embattled Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama remained tight-lipped over the ministry's next move, saying more time was needed to assess the situation in light of the injunction.

The director-general of the ministry's Legal Affairs Department, Krit Kraijitti, did not rule out appealing the injection.

Suwat Apaipak, a member of the legal team that succeeded in getting the court to overturn a June 17 Cabinet decision, urged Noppadon to inform Cambodia and the UN cultural body that Thailand could no longer support the listing bid.

The injunction has proved to be a major political embarrassment for the government. A clearer response should be revealed on Tuesday following the weekly Cabinet meeting, where the issue is expected to be high on the agenda.

Despite the government's insistence that the joint communique calling for the listing of Preah Vihear had no bearing on territorial claims by the two countries, Pongpol said the next move would have to come from the Cabinet.

His predecessor on the committee, Adul Wichiancharoen, said the earlier call for Thailand and Cambodia to jointly apply for the Unesco status was a way to depoliticise the thorny issues of territorial dispute and sovereignty.

Pipob Thongchai, a member of the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy, said Noppadon should show responsibility by resigning from his Cabinet post.

It's a shame to see Thai Democrats interfering and meddling in Cambodia's internal Preah Vihear affair

Thai Democrats to petition World Heritage Committee

BANGKOK, June 29 (TNA) -- Thailand's opposition Democrat Party will directly petition all 21 country members of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Monday stating its opposition to a Cambodian government plan to unilaterally apply for registration of the historic Preah Vihear temple, the party spokesman said Sunday.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has listed 851 sites in 141 countries as World Heritage sites.

Ong-art Klampaiboon said the party would submit its petition through the UNESCO office here stating the party's stance and the opinions of the Thai people towards the Cambodian plan to apply to list the temple as a World Heritage site.

E-mail messages will also be sent directly to each of the 21 members of the committee urging it to decide the matter based on 'righteousness'.

The Thai opposition party's objection to the planned listing of the ancient temple comes as Phnom Penh plans to apply for the registration of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site during the UNESCO World Heritage Committee annual meeting beginning July 2 in Quebec.

Emphasising that what the Democrat Party is doing is for the benefit of Thailand and not for its own political gain, Mr. Ong-art said his party stood by five points regarding the temple, which sits on Cambodian soil but can only be easily accessed from Thailand.

These five points include its position that the no-confidence debate against the Thai government, which ended Friday, was is no way meant to affect the warm relations between the two countries, that the Thai government should not carry out any activities which could diminish the country's sovereignty and that it should not have approved Cambodia's new map on the temple in exchange for gains for any one person.

Some Thai press reports have said that former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006, plans to invest in a resort-style entertainment complex on the Cambodian island of Koh Kong and that somehow the Preah Vihear understanding was a deal to benefit Mr. Thaksin.

Both Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama have said what the government had done was for the country's interests as well as maintaining bilateral relations of the two neighbouring countries.

"You're a traitor" : [Noppadon Pattama] Foreign minister told

Sun, June 29, 2008
The Nation

Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama came under verbal assault from a marathon runner who called him a "traitor" just has he was taking off from the starting block.

Noppadon was standing next to US Ambassador Eric John at the starting point of the race, witnesses said. The two men co-chaired the opening ceremony of the marathon commemorating the 35th anniversary celebration of the Thai-US relationship.

According to witnesses, the runner shouted "Noppadon, you're a traitor" three time as he ran pass the minister.

The embarassed minister reportedly told Ambassador John, "This can happen in the democratic system."

Noppadon and the government have been strongly criticised by the opposition and the protesters led by People's Alliance for Democracy of having hidden agenda in endorsing Cambodia's bid to list Preah Vihear Temple as a Unesco Heritage Site.

'Nothing lost' in deal

June 26, 2008
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation

Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama insists he maintained Thai sovereignty in dealing with Cambodia over the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear.

The joint communique signed with Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sok An on June 18 did not terminate reservations about the international court's ruling made by former foreign minister Thanat Khoman 46 years ago, he said.

"The inherent right, if it really exists, as reserved by former minister Thanat, has not changed. No single word in the joint statement mentioned that right and the reservations held," he told the Parliament.

Sovereignty over the Preah Vihear temple, ruled in favour of Cambodia by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962, was a hot topic of debate in the Parliament after the opposition Democrat Party accused the government of causing a loss of sovereignty when it supported Cambodia in a unilateral application for World Heritage status.

Actively supporting Cambodia's application to Unesco meant recognition of Cambodia's sovereignty over the temple area, said Democrat MP Sirichok Sopha. "The ICJ ruled only that the temple was under Cambodia's sovereignty and Thailand was obligated to hand the temple ruins to Cambodia, not the base on which the ruins sit," he said.

Opposition Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said previous governments had not conceded Cambodian sovereignty over the base since the ruling.

Noppadon rejected the comment, saying the cabinet in July 1962, shortly after the ruling, agreed to hand the temple, together with 250 square metres of territory for the base, to Cambodia.

Abhisit and Noppadon exchanged words during the Parliament session yesterday over interpretation of the Cabinet's resolution on July 11, 2006.

Noppadon said all concerned Thai agencies interpreted that the then government agreed to hand the temple together with the base area to Cambodia while Abhisit said the base remained under Thai sovereignty.

As long as Cambodia did not claim anything beyond the then-handed-over area, Thailand lost nothing beyond what it lost 46 years ago, Noppadon said.

Cambodia's new map which was used in the application was cross-checked against the L 7017 map used by the Thai military to determine the Thai boundary, he said.

The joint communique made clear the inclusion of Preah Vihear on the World Heritage list shall be "without" prejudice to the right of the two kingdoms on the demarcation work of the Joint Commission for Land Boundary, Noppadon said.

Moreover, Unesco's Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage's article 11 stated that: The inclusion of a property situated in a territory, sovereignty or jurisdiction over which is claimed by more than one State, shall in no way prejudice the rights of the parties to the dispute, he said. "We have three layers of legal protection over our sovereignty."

Joint communiqué between Cambodia and Thailand on Preah Vihear Temple listing

Click on each page to zoom in

Thai senators urge UNESCO to defer Preah Vihear listing ... Thailand wants joint nomination AGAIN based on unfounded allegations!

Senators urge Unesco to defer temple talks

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.'

Liar, liar

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Bangkok Post Reporters

Opposition and Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday charged that the government was bent on misleading the public by distorting information over the Preah Vihear temple.

Mr Abhisit also called on fellow MPs to cast votes of no-confidence against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama in a bid to preserve Thailand's sovereignty which he said had virtually been given up when the cabinet on June 17 endorsed Cambodia's map of the ancient temple and the joint statement over it.

The documents will be used by Phnom Penh to have World Heritage Committee members under the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) consider its bid for the temple to gain World Heritage site status. The committee meeting starts on July 2 in Quebec.

Mr Noppadon said Thailand planned to separately propose that the Sra Trao reservoir and other ancient structures relating to Preah Vihear, be listed. But he said this plan could not be completed in time for the Quebec meeting.

He denied the idea was aimed at deflecting pressure from the antigovernment People's Alliance for Democracy and those criticising Thailand's support for Cambodia's attempt to gain World Heritage status for Preah Vihear.

MPs will vote in the no-confidence debate tomorrow.

In the two-day censure debate which kicked off yesterday, Mr Abhisit accused the government of distorting the truth when it claimed the Thai team of lawyers accepted Cambodia's map in the 1962 legal battle over the temple in the International Courts of Justice.

Mr Abhisit said the Thai lawyers, led by the late M.R. Seni Pramoj, had never accepted Cambodia's map presented to the World Court in The Hague.

He said the court ruled in favour of Cambodia on the grounds that Thailand never protested against Cambodia's map until the dispute was brought to the court.

"The court then ruled that Thailand's failure to protest against [Cambodia's] map was tantamount to legal acceptance of the map. Fortunately, the court never touched on border disputes," he said.

Mr Abhisit said that shortly after the court's ruling in 1962 the Thai government issued a statement in which it said it would reserve the right to seek a review while observing the court's ruling.

He said the government's statement showed Thailand's intention to seek the return of the Preah Vihear temple when the opportunity arose.

The current administration's endorsement of the Cambodian map was giving up the rights that Thailand had always upheld, he said.

Mr Abhisit also lambasted the government for its failure to seek parliamentary approval before it signed a joint statement with Cambodia over the proposed listing of the temple.

He said the government exceeded its power in doing so and was in violation of Article 190 of the constitution as the joint statement would have an impact on the country's sovereignty.

Mr Noppadon on June 18 signed the joint statement with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.

Mr Noppadon and Foreign Ministry legal experts have argued that the joint statement did not need parliament's endorsement because it will have no effect on Thai sovereignty or territory.

In his defence last night, Mr Noppadon said the ministry closely consulted the armed forces before deciding to endorse the Cambodian map. There was no conflict of interest behind the Thai government's decision, he added.

The prime minister stressed that the temple belonged to Cambodia which had the right to seek the temple's listing.

Thailand, on the other hand, had succeeded in persuading Cambodia to list only the temple, not the 4.6 sq km overlapping area, he said, noting that it was important to maintain a healthy relationship with Phnom Penh.

Mr Samak said the Preah Vihear temple had become a controversial issue as intended by some politicians.

He warned that if it was allowed to be politicised further, it would sour the Thai-Cambodian ties and it was worrying Thai people living in Cambodia.

"I can tell you the stir-up is successful. Don't you know Thai people over there can't sleep?" the prime minister said.

He also said the Democrats were irresponsible in playing the nationalistic card at the expense of bilateral relations.

Abhisit Vejjajiva: No Thai gov't had ever officially accepted the 1962 decision by the ICJ, Thailand had the right to revive claim on Preah Vihear

Abbhisit Vejjajiva

Abhisit slams samak for conceding sovereignty

June 25, 2008
The Nation

PM urges country to come to terms with 1962 decision

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday accused Democrat Party chief Abhisit Vejjajiva of fuelling tension between Thailand and Cambodia, even as the opposition leader accused the administration of compromising the country's sovereignty with its "active support" for Phnom Penh's bid to secure World Heritage status for Preah Vihear.

Abhisit said no Thai government had ever officially accepted the 1962 decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and maintained that the country had the right to revive its claim to the 10th century Hindu temple if and when new evidence surfaces.

The Democrat Party leader said that with the exception of the Samak government, no Thai government had ever regarded the ICJ ruling as the determination of the national border between the two sides.

Abhisit showed Parliament a letter from the Thai Foreign Ministry to the Cambodian government, calling on Phnom Penh to reconsider its unilateral decision to apply to Unesco for World Heritage status.

The opposition leader also showed a joint communique revealing Samak's "active support" for Cambodia's bid for World Heritage status for the historic temple.

Former deputy foreign minister Sukhumband Paribatra said the joint communiqu้ signed by Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama and Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sok An could be deemed an international treaty, which required a Parliament reading in accordance with article 190 of the Constitution.

"Of course, the interpretation is debatable but as long as it is unclear, why don't we put it through the Parliament first? Why does the government make it in secret and in a hurry?" he asked.

Samak dodged the accusation that he has effectively forfeited the country's right to raise the Preah Vihear case with the ICJ. He argued that Thailand had lost the case in 1962 and urged the country to come to terms with the decision.

He accused Abhisit of adding to the tension between the two countries and said Thai nationals in Cambodia are having sleepless nights. Samak said the Cambodian government has the right to propose the main temple - which the ICJ had ruled to be situated inside Cambodian territory - to Unesco for consideration as a World Heritage site.

Abhisit contended that no Unesco committee would approve such a request, as it would unnecessarily split up the ancient temple into two zones.

Last year, Thailand protested against Unesco Cambodia's unilateral move to have the entire temple, which includes 4.6 square kilometres of overlapping claims, to become a World Heritage site.

The then government of Surayud Chulanont made the sticky topic of national borders a non-issue and suggested that Thailand and Cambodia file a joint application to Unesco.

Cambodia rejected the proposal and resubmitted its bid again this year.

Abhisit said it was a big mistake on the part of the Samak government to stray from the positions of previous governments that called for the two countries to put in a joint application.

He also criticised Noppadon for misleading the public by proclaiming himself a hero, reportedly for succeeding in getting Cambodia to delete the 4.6-square-kilometre disputed area from its map submitted to Unesco.

"I never thought that a former lawyer of Thaksin Shinawatra would ever become a lawyer for Cambodia," Abhisit said, in reference to Noppadon, who had represented Thaksin while the ousted premier lived in exile following the September 2006 coup.

Protests Shutter Preah Vihear Temple

Thai protesters holding banners and shouting (Photo: Thailand news media)

By Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
24 June 2008

As Thai protesters arrived on the northern border, Cambodian authorities on Monday closed the gates to Preah Vihear temple, whose application for Unesco World Heritage protection has brought border anxieties between the neighbors to the fore.

Thai opposition politicians and activists accuse Thailand's foreign minister of hastily allowing the Cambodians to forward the application to Unesco, and over the weekend a group of protesters were outside the temple, requesting permission to enter.

Cambodia then closed the temple to all visitors, pending further notification.

The temple will be reopened when "the situation becomes good and no one is causing any more problems," said Var Kimhong, chairman of the government's border committee.

Thais petition UNESCO; court to hear temple dispute complaint

BANGKOK, June 24 (TNA) - Thailand's Central Administrative Court has set a hearing on Thursday to determine whether or not to issue an injunction as requested by a group of politicians and activists over the nullification of a cabinet decision concerning the disputed Preah Vihear temple, while another group led by senators petitioned the United Nations agency seeking postponement of the temple registration as a World Heritage site.

Thailand's cabinet on June 17 endorsed a new map -- as yet unseen by the Thai public -- of Preah Vihear that paves the way for neighbouring Cambodia to apply for the disputed temple to be listed as a World Heritage Site.

Cambodia will present the map as a key document to experts of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at a meeting in Canada next month.

A group of Thai politicians and activists represented by Sen. Kamnoon Sitthisaman and Suriyasai Katasila, coordinator of the People's Alliance for Democracy, petitioned the court on Tuesday asking it to nullify the June 17 cabinet decision and to invalidate the signing by Thai foreign minister Noppadon Pattama of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Communique of June 18.

Suwat Apaipak, a Thai lawyer, explained that the group petitioned the court for fear that Thailand might lose territory as a result of endorsement of the joint communique.

Recognising Cambodia's right to seek World Heritage site status for Phra Vihear is tantamount to affecting Thailand's border, according to Mr. Suwat.

Critics say the Samak administration bypassed Parliament when his government endorsed the joint communique, arguing that Thailand and Cambodia should apply jointly for World Heritage status for the site.

The foreign minister and the cabinet must testify Thursday, according to the court statement.

Meanwhile, about 300 senators, academics and national artists Tuesday petitioned the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to postpone its consideration of the Preah Vihear temple site.

Sen. Priyanandana Rangsit, deputy chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, presented a petition signed by 300 senators, academic and civil society representatives to UNESCO asking the UN agency to postpone its consideration of Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site, arguing the plan should be proposed by both Thailand and Cambodia because the temple is a transboundary asset.

A 4.6 square kilometre area adjacent to the temple is in an overlapping zone where Thai and Khmer ownership has yet to be demarcated.

Dr. Sheldon Sheffer, Director of UNESCO Bangkok, Asia said he would forward the petition to the World Heritage Committee.

Richard Engelhardt, UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific, commented that the process to select world heritage sites normally takes between three and ten years. Regarding the Preah Vihear case, the Cambodian government proposed the temple to the World Heritage site last year and the World Heritage Committee will meet between July 2-12 to discuss the issue.

In response to Thailand's change of mind, Cambodia should not recognize any Thai claim of portion of Preah Vihear located in the disputed zone

Cabinet agrees to rewrite resolution on Preah Vihear Temple

Tue, June 24, 2008
By Piyanart Srivalo
The Nation (Thailand)

Thai Cabinet agreed on Tuesday to change the wording in its resolution on Preah Vihear Temple they endorsed last week to tone down public criticism, a Cabinet source said.

The government is due today to be grilled by the opposition over their endorsement of Cambodia's bid to list the Preah Vihear Temple as Unesco World Heritage Site. Preah Vihear will be high on the agenda of today's no censure debate.

The source said in the Cabinet will change the wording in the resolution from "map" of the Preah Vihear territory to "diagram."

They also asked the foreign ministry to add into the Thai-Cambodia Joint Communique the exact size of the Preah Vihear Temple to drive in the point that the area proposed to Unesco is not part of the disputed territory.

The government of Samak Sundaravej consistently defended its decision to endorsed Cambodia's new map to Unesco over the temple's territory because it not cover the 4.6 square kilometre overlapping areas with Thailand.

Phnom Penh's former map sparked protest from Thailand as it included the overlapping areas. Therefore it re-submitted the map.

However Samak government's endorsement of the new map drew strong criticism from the public particularly protesters who lay siege the Government House.

The map was made public late last week by Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama, who claimed to have defended Thailand's sovereignty by preventing Cambodia from including the 4.6 square kilometre in the map to Unesco.

But in spite of revealing of the map, public protest continue amid a growing call for Noppadon's resignation.

Critics said the government should apply jointly with Cambodia because a significant portion of the Preah Vihear is situated on the Thai side of the border.

The proposal to rewrite the resolution was proposed by Agriculture Minister Somsak Prissanananthakul.

Somsak said on Tuesday the Cabinet would rewrite the Cabinet resolution over Preah Vihear to clearly state that the area that Cambodia is listing as a World Heritage site would not cover the overlapping area claimed by both sides.

"We must rewrite it to make it clear to prevent any problems in the future. We ask that the Cabinet resolution be rewritten and we will review it before it is printed,'' Somsak said.

The Hindu temple has been the subject of conflict between Thailand and Cambodia since last year when Bangkok opposed Phnom Penh's application to annex 4.6 square kilometres of overlapping area claimed by both sides. The dispute was settled after Cambodia agreed last month to accept that only the temple belonged to Cambodia.

Si Sa Ket people have been protesting since June 22 accusing the Cabinet of endorsing Cambodian sovereignty over the temple after Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama signed to support Cambodia's proposal to apply for it to become a world heritage site.

Cambodia closes border access to controversial Hindu temple

Thai protesters standing in front of the gate to Preah Vihear (Photo: Thailand news media)

Jun 24, 2008
DPA

Phnom Penh - Border access to Preah Vihear temple has been closed indefinitely after the potential World Heritage Site was turned in to a political football in neighbouring Thailand, Cambodian authorities said Tuesday.

Cambodian authorities decided to close a Thai-Cambodian border crossing to the ancient Hindu temple on Monday after a rally of about 100 Thai protestors gathered at the site, said Preah Vihear Authority Director General Hang Soth.

'This is Thailand's problem, because those protestors were an anti-Thai government group,' Hang Soth said in a telephone interview. But he admitted that the issue was a sensitive one on both sides of the border.

'The border was closed because both governments don't want an explosion between our two peoples,' said Hang Soth.

Preah Vihear, a centuries-old Hindu temple perched on a 525-metre high cliff that defines the Thai-Cambodian border, has been a bone of contention for the two neighbouring countries for decades.

The temple, which may be designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO next month, prompted an ownership spat between Cambodia and Thailand that led to a suspension of diplomatic relations in 1958 and eventually ended up in The Hague for an international settlement in 1962. The court ruled in Cambodia's favour, but the loss of the temple remains a national wound for many Thais.

Preah Vihear became a contentious issue for the current Thai government after it approved a Cambodian proposal to submit the temple as a possible heritage site with UNESCO next month.

Last year Thailand opposed the temple's UNESCO listing on the grounds that the Cambodian map of the site included some disputed territories. Cambodia redrew the map last month, and the Thai cabinet approved the revised siting.

Thailand's opposition Democrat Party, which launched a no-confidence motion against the Thai cabinet on Tuesday, has criticized Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej for throwing the government's approval to the heritage listing without seeking parliament's approval.

Opposition politicians have accused the government of pushing the proposal through to win Cambodian business benefits for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a military coup in September 2006 and has been banned from politics for five years.

Thaksin is seen as the behind-the-scenes backer of Samak and the People Power Party (PPP) which leads the current cabinet.

The Thai protestors dispersed peacefully at around 5:30 pm without intervention from border police on either side, according to witnesses.

The deputy governor of Preah Vihear province, Long Sovann, said the governor had closed the border after receiving orders from the Cambodian government but declined further comment.

Neither the governor nor government spokesman Khieu Kanharith were available for comment Tuesday.

The Khmer-language Koh Santepheap daily featured a front-page picture of the protestors Tuesday, showing them hoisting a yellow flag and a Thai national flag on Thai soil just 20 meters short of the border during the rally.

Some of the protestors also wore yellow shirts, a colour that has been adopted by the anti-Thaksin movement.

Like Koh Santepheap, the other two mass circulation Khmer-language dailies Rasmei Kampuchea and Kampuchea Thmey made it clear that Thai Prime Minister Samak had not approved of the protest.

Kampuchea Thmey blamed the rally on Thailand's People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), an anti-Thaksin coalition.

All three newspapers played down the incident and said that the issue of the border temple was not disputed by either the Cambodian or Thai governments.

Photos from Preah Vihear border

Thai protesters standing in front of the gate to Preah Vihear (Photo: Thailand news media)
Thai protesters holding banners and shouting (Photo: Thailand news media)
Cambodian temporary shelters in Prasat village (Photo: Vantha, Koh Santepheap news)

Cambodia shuts Thai border crossing to disputed temple

Thai tourists visit the Preah Vihear temple in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Cambodia has closed its border with Thailand at the disputed Preah Vihear temple after a group of Thai protesters rallied near the ruins, an official said Tuesday.

Senior Minister Var Kimhong, chairman of the Cambodian government's border committee, told AFP the border crossing was closed on Sunday evening when a group of Thai protesters rallied near the checkpoint.

"The reason is Thai protesters demonstrated near the gate to the temple and authorities feared that something could happen to visitors to Preah Vihear temple," Kimhong said, adding he did not know when the crossing would reopen.

The protesters rallied against a decision last week by Thailand's cabinet to give Cambodia the green light to apply for the Preah Vihear temple to be listed as a World Heritage Site.

The deal has sparked claims that Thailand would lose territory to Cambodia around the small but emotive site.

Cambodia's attempt last year to have the ancient Hindu site, perched on a mountaintop on the Thai-Cambodia border, listed by the UN's cultural body UNESCO failed, with rumours that Thailand had blocked the deal.

Cambodia began seeking World Heritage status for Preah Vihear nearly six years ago, but the temple has long plagued Thai-Cambodian relations.

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

Former Cambodian king Norodom Sihanouk took Thailand to the World Court in 1962 over the two countries' claim to Preah Vihear. The court ruled that the temple belonged to Cambodia.

A spat in 2003 over Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple -- the most significant symbol of the country's ancient Khmer empire -- sparked a night of riots that saw Thailand's embassy and several Thai-owned businesses burned and looted.

Protest to continue "until we get our Khao Phra Viharn back and expel Cambodian villagers who have encroached on the Thai border": Thai protest leader

Temple locked

Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Bangkok Post Reporters

Cambodia closed the Preah Vihear ruins on Monday amid worries Thai protests over Phnom Penh's plan to propose the ancient temple for World Heritage listing will spill across the border - after it spilled into parliament and the courts.

The issue was a major point raised during yesterday's general debate by senators who attacked Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his government for supporting the Cambodian move.

Outside the parliament, opponents plan to ask the Administrative Court today to nullify the cabinet's endorsement of Cambodia's map of Preah Vihear and a joint declaration to be presented to Unesco.

Senator Kamnoon Sitthisamarn will lead protestors to petition the court.

M.R. Priyanandana Rangsit, deputy chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, will also hand a protest letter to the office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in Bangkok. The letter signed by 300 elite and socially recognised people calls on the UN agency not to accept the temple as a World Heritage site.

The government on June 17 approved the new map drawn by Cambodia, which defines the temple's boundary to be proposed to the World Heritage Committee during its meeting in Quebec starting on June 2, placing it inside Cambodia.

Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama also signed a joint statement with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, supporting the application, soon after Bangkok agreed to the map.

The closure of the temple came after Cambodian officials held talks to assess the situation.

About 200 Thai protesters gathered near the temple yesterday. Many of them had completed a 110-km walk protesting against Phnom Penh's move. The group began the "Dharma Walk" in Muang Si Sa Ket and arrived in Kantharalak district, which adjoins the temple, on Sunday.

Their demonstration near Preah Vihear added to the worries of Cambodian officials, who in recent weeks have seen growing protests in Thailand against the listing of the temple.

Cambodian officials said the temple, known as Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand, will reopen to tourists when the protest rally ends.

Protest leader Saman Sri-ngam warned the protest would continue "until we get our Khao Phra Viharn back and expel Cambodian villagers who have encroached on the Thai border."

They sang the Thai national anthem and a patriotic song Rao Su (We Will Fight) during their rally. Some yelled at Cambodian villagers, demanding they leave the Thai border.

A group of monks, led by Phra Maha Boontueng, also joined the rally. They offered prayers in support of the protesters.

A Thai military source said the army had been informed of the closure of Preah Vihear, but had not contacted Phnom Penh on the issue.

The source said some officers agreed with the protest over the encroachment by Cambodians who built shops and other structures.

"The villagers well know that the area belongs to Thailand, but past governments have done nothing about it," the source said.

In the Senate debate, Phetchaburi Senator Sumol Sutawiriyawat roundly criticised the government over its handling of the Preah Vihear issue, including the failure to jointly propose the listing of the ancient temple as a World Heritage site with Cambodia.

In his defence, Mr Samak insisted Thailand will not lose any territory to Cambodia by approving the Cambodian map and the joint statement.

He stressed the temple is inside Cambodia, as a result of the International Court of Justice's ruling in 1962, and criticised those trying to stir up people to try and reclaim it.

Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda has reacted to the Preah Vihear issue in a short reply to a letter sent to him on Thursday calling on the government and civic groups to help protect Thai territory. It was handed to him by chief adviser to the Supreme Command Gen Pathompong Kesornsuk.

The letter said approval of the new map of Preah Vihear would lead to legal complications when Thailand and Cambodia hold talks on the overlapping areas along their border in the future.

In his reply on June 21 Gen Prem replied the move "is a way to return a favour to the nation".

[Thai Senator] Uttaradit senator says Noppadon should have done better [in Preah Vihear case]

June 23, 2008
The Nation

Uttaradit Senator Naruemol Siriwat said Foreign Minister Noppadol Pattama should have done better in resisting Cambodia attempted to register Preah Vihear as a world heritage site.

She said Noppadol had done nothing apart from supporting Cambodia in the registering of the site.

She said she expected that Thailand would have further territory disputes with Cambodia because of Noppadol's failure to oppose Cambodia's registration of the ruin site. [KI-Media note: For the information of Senator Naruemol Siriwat, Cambodia already has a lot of territory disputes with Thailand because of Thailand's encroachment into Cambodia, not the other way around, Senator!]