Thai team claims Unesco backs its proposal to delay management plan

By THE NATION


Though Thailand and Cambodia yesterday failed to reach common ground on the management of the much-contested Preah Vihear Temple, the Thai team claimed that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) was supporting its proposal to delay the plan.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti had given him the "good news".

Suwit was in Paris yesterday to meet Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and Unesco Director-General Irina Bokova to negotiate a delay in the World Heritage Committee's consideration of the Preah Vihear management plan at its upcoming 35th session on June 19-29.

Suwit claimed that Bokova supported Thailand's proposal to delay consideration of the plan, adding that she later met with Sok An and Senior Minister in Charge of Border Affairs Va Kim Hong to propose that Cambodia withdraw its management plan until both countries could determine their common border.

The Cambodian delegation at the Paris meeting said it disagreed with the proposal, but was leaving the decision up to the government in Phnom Penh.

The meeting was held in order to settle differences between the two neighbouring countries over the World Heritage Site inscription of Preah Vihear ahead of the committee's next session.

Thailand has been accusing Cambodia of trespassing territory adjacent to the temple that Thailand claims comes under its sovereignty and is refusing to consider the neighbouring country's management plan for Preah Vihear until both countries are able to settle the boundary dispute.

The two countries have been at loggerheads over Preah Vihear for a long time now, but the conflict intensified after the temple was inscribed in 2008. Major clashes broke out in the border region in February, causing lots of casualties and damages.

"We want to tell the World Heritage Committee that Preah Vihear's World Heritage inscription led to military conflict between the two countries," Abhisit told reporters. "If Cambodia insists on continuing [with the plan], we will protect our rights. We will tell the world that Thailand has never created problems."

Beside the management plan, the two countries are also fighting the Preah Vihear case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), because Cambodia has asked the court to clarify its 1962 ruling on the temple.

The court will hold a public hearing on Monday and Tuesday regarding Cambodia's request asking the court to grant provisional measures to have Thai troops withdrawn from the temple's vicinity.

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya flew to The Hague for the hearing yesterday. His Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong is also expected to be present.

The court will take three weeks to make a decision on the provisional measures and will ask both sides to submit their opinion on the ruling's interpretation by September or October, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi.