Kon BambooSchoot

900-year-old temple on disputed Thai-Cambodia border named world heritage site

A 900-year-old temple, which sits in a disputed border zone between Thailand and Cambodia, has been named by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
UNESCO spokeswoman Joanna Sullivan says Preah Vihear was designated Monday at a meeting in Quebec City. “I can confirm to you that, yes, it was inscribed this afternoon,” Sullivan said.
In 1962, the International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled Preah Vihear was located inside Cambodia’s border, a decision opposed by many in Thailand.
Thai citizens were asked to donate money to help finance the country’s push to defend the temple in the international court.
Cambodia has been trying to obtain the designation for the Khmer-style temple since 1992.
However, Thailand has vetoed its neighbour’s previous submissions, fearing the status would include nearly five square kilometres of disputed land along the border.
In June, Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama signed a joint communique with Cambodia, endorsing the country’s bid to nominate the temple as a world heritage site.
Tensions along the border boiled over last month when protesters threatened to evict Cambodians living in the disputed territory. Cambodia responded by closing access to the temple.
The temple’s select status as a world heritage site will attract tourists and grants from the United Nations’ World Heritage Fund.
Jul 05 2008
Temple troubles

Riot police have been deployed to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh as a dispute over Preah Vihear temple heats up, with several unions threatening to protest against Thai efforts to scuttle the Hindu monument’s listing as a World Heritage Site.
“We won’t stop people from demonstrating, but we are here to prevent any violence,” said Mary Tes, officer in charge of the 18-man detachment stationed around the clock outside the Thai embassy alongside a fire engine and six firefighters.
“We have to protect them, and the Thai police protect our embassy in Bangkok. We are helping each other,” he told the Post on July 3.
The deployment was the latest move in a tit-for-tat escalation of tensions over Preah Vihear. Cambodia closed access to the temple in late June as Thai demonstrators gathered on their side of the nearby border in northern Cambodia, claiming the 11th century ruins belong to Thailand.
The growing row, which has been driven mostly by anger in Bangkok over what many Thais see as their government ceding territory to Cambodia, comes as Cambodian officials are at a UNESCO meeting in Quebec, Canada, to seek World Heritage status for Preah Vihear.
Cambodia has vowed to push ahead with its bid for the World Heritage inscription despite a recent Thai court ruling that Bangkok cannot support the nomination.
Amid the controversy, the Cambodian Watchdog Council, a coalition of five labor unions, and the National Culture and Moral Center filed individual requests with City Hall to stage non-violent demonstrations in Phnom Penh against the Thai ownership claims.
City Hall has denied permission, for now.
“It is not the time for demonstrations. It is time for political parties to have election campaigns. There will be disorder if campaigns and demonstrations occurred simultaneously,” said Pa Socheatvong, deputy municipal governor, referring to the July 27 general election.
“We would not dare to ban or reject their requests, but they must demonstrate with dignity and no violence, and they should do it all in one place after the election,” he added.
Speaking for the Cambodian Watchdog Council, Cambodian Teacher’s Association President Rong Chhun said his group would “lead a big, non-violent demonstration for territorial integrity and Preah Vihear temple, if the Thai side does not respect the international court’s 1962 decision and the Cambodian-Thai treaties of 1904 and 1907.”
The International Court of Justice ruled 46 years ago that the temple belonged to Cambodia.
Chhun also said that “if [the authorities] dare crack down on us, it means they are supporting the Thais and they have no intention to join us in protecting our ancestors’ heritage.”
The most recent nationalistic rumblings are reminiscent of the lead-up to the 2003 rioting, during which a mob, enraged over false rumors that a Thai actress claimed that Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand, looted and burned the Thai embassy and destroyed several Thai-owned businesses in the capital.
The violence then threw Cambodian-Thai relations into a downward spiral, and the rising tensions now appear to have rattled Phnom Penh’s Thai community.
Several Thai nationals declined to speak to reporters, except to say that their bosses had temporarily returned to Thailand.
“They are worried the Cambodians will demonstrate against Thai businessmen to avenge the Thais protesting,” said one Cambodian employed by a Thai. “They will come back when the situation returns to normal.”
Meanwhile, Cambodia’s political parties are split over whether to exploit the controversy in their election campaigns.
Cheam Yeap, senior parliamentarian of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, said that the temple dispute is not a matter for domestic politics.
“It is people’s right [to address the matter] but I would implore the public and political parties not to raise Preah Vihear temple as a campaign issue,” Yeap said, adding that the Cambodian government is prepared to protect Thais living in Cambodia.
Representatives of opposition parties who were not in government at the time of the riots appeared more eager to adopt Preah Vihear temple into their platforms.
“We will raise Preah Vihear temple and the Thais’ protests at every stop of our campaign,” said Muth Chantha, spokesman for the Norodom Ranariddh Party.
He promised a counter-demonstration against the Thais after the July 27 voting.
“We are not worried the government will accuse us of incitement. We will speak the truth,” Chantha said.
Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, said his campaign would make an issue of Preah Vihear, but would target the message only to voters living near the temple site and in Phnom Penh.
“We will raise the issue for our sovereignty and to express national patriotism, for Cambodians to choose the prime minister, not to incite against the Thais,” Sokha said.
Representatives from the Sam Rainsy Party and Funcinpec both said their parties would back away from the issue.
“We already have our political guidelines for campaigning. The Preah Vihear issue is just occurring,” said Eng Chhay Eang, SRP secretary general.
Jul 05 2008
Former FM: Thailand never supported Cambodia on temple claim
BANGKOK, July 5 (TNA) - Former Thai foreign minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said Saturday that Thailand never supported Cambodia’s unilateral application to register Preah Vihear temple as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
His denial was made after current Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama on Friday told the Constitution Court it
was the previous government of Gen. Surayud Chulanont, installed by the September 2006 coup-makers, which had pushed and supported attempts by the Cambodian government to register the temple as a World Heritage site, and not himself.
Mr. Noppadon said the previous government made the commitment during the 31st meeting of the World
Heritage Committee meeting, held in Christchurch, New Zealand, in June last year.
But Mr. Nitya said the Thai government, while represented at last year’s meeting, did not agree that Cambodia should apply for the listing of the temple alone without cooperation from Thailand, forcing the World Heritage Committee to postpone the decision as Cambodia did not receive sufficient votes to support it.
Thailand at last year’s meeting reiterated that close cooperation between the two countries was needed and
that both should also discuss plans to jointly manage the area, Mr. Nitya said, adding that Thailand’s support
depended upon conditions being met.
Mr. Nitya said Thai representatives attending a meeting in the Cambodian town of Siem Reap in January this
year again opposed the Cambodian government’s idea to apply to register the temple after it proposed an
earlier map which included disputed area claimed by both countries.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee will again consider the matter at the current annual meeting in
Canada. The issue is expected to be taken up Sunday. (TNA)-E111 General News : Last Update : 18:50:09 5 July 2008 (GMT+7:00)