Cambodia not claiming any Thai land ... how could she with an inept government like Hun Sen's?

Noppadon Pattama, Thai FM, showing the map of Preah Vihear (Photo: Thailand Foreign Ministry)

Cambodia not claiming any Thai land: Noppadon

June 19, 2008
By Piyanart Srivalo, Supalak Ganjanakhundee The Nation (Thailand)

Thailand has not lost a single square centimetre, as the new map drawn up by Cambodia to propose the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site claims nothing beyond its right, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said yesterday.

Cambodia honoured an agreement reached in Paris last month to propose only the temple and did not include the overlapping area claimed by both sides, Noppadon told a press conference yesterday.

Thousands of protesters earlier marched to the Foreign Ministry accusing the minister of losing territory to Cambodia and demanding he resign.

They believe Noppadon made a deal with Cambodia to help ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's business interests. They called on civil servants at the ministry to resist Noppadon.

Lt-General Daen Meechu-at, chief of the Supreme Command's Royal Thai Survey Department and who also attended the press conference, said a ground survey conducted from June 9-11 using a satellite based Global Positioning System indicated the new map did not claim any part of Thai territory. The nearest point, the left corner of the temple, is 3 metres away from Thai territory, while the farthest point is 30 metres away, he said.

"The questioned naga stairs is 10 metres away from the Thai boundary," he said, "I confirm there is no part of Cambodia's claim on Thai soil."

The Foreign Ministry later released the map to the public on its website.

Noppadon has signed a joint statement with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An on the matter, enabling Phnom Penh to submit its proposal for consideration of Unesco's World Heritage committee. The committee will make its final decision next month at a meeting in Quebec.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear Temple belonged to Cambodia.

Democrat calls for FM to reveal Cambodia's new map

Sun, June 15, 2008
The Nation (Thailand)

The Democrat party called on the Foreign Ministry on Sunday to reveal the new border lines for Preah Vihear Temple proposed by Cambodia in its bid to list the temple as a Unesco World Heritage site.

Deputy party leader Alongkorn Polabutr expressed concern the ministry appeared to be withholding details of the Cambodian proposal.

Phnom Penh's bid to make Preah Vihear Temple a protected site reached a stalemate last year when Bangkok objected to a map attached to the proposal.

Bangkok said it included overlapping zones between both countries and they had to be demarcated first.

Several rounds of negotiations followed and Cambodia agreed to propose a new map which Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said did not include the overlapping areas.

He doubted the government would compromise on the issue that could benefit former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was reportedly keen about investing in Koh Kong province in Cambodia.

Alongkorn said the ministry should make the issue transparent by showing details of the map to the public before Unesco considers the Cambodian proposal between July 2 and 10.

The Cabinet is scheduled to endorse Cambodia's new map next week, enabling Phnom Penh to submit its proposal to Unesco.

Thailand and Cambodia claimed ownership of the temple until the World Court ruled in favour of Cambodia in 1962.

Alongkorn said yesterday was the 46th anniversary of that ruling.

It should be noted the World Court ruled that only the temple, not the areas around it, belonged to Cambodia, he said.

A seminar on the controversy was conducted in Si Sa Ket province yesterday, where many panellists expressed doubts on the Thai government's expected admission of Cambodia's new map.

Last week, some residents in Si Sa Ket called for the removal of Cambodian communities from overlapping areas.