July 05, 2008
The Thai foreign minister left Bangkok Saturday to attend a World Heritage Committee meeting in Quebec, Canada, to explain Thailand's withdrawal of support to Cambodia's application to list the ancient Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.
Speaking to journalists before his departure, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said he would officially withdraw Thailand's endorsement of Cambodia's bid to list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site as stated in an earlier signed Thai-Cambodian Joint Communique, and request the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to postpone its consideration on Phnom Penh's application during this session which began on Wednesday.
The Committee supervised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is due to complete its agenda next Thursday.
Noppadon said he would do whatever he could to defer consideration of listing the temple by explaining to the Committee the circumstances of an injunction granted by Thailand's Administrative Court on June 28, ordering the Thai government to suspend all activities to endorse Cambodia's bid over the Preah Vihear temple.
Noppadon had signed a Joint Communique with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An on June 18, one day after the cabinet approved to endorse a new map of the temple prepared by Cambodia.
The court injunction was granted in response to the petition by the anti-government group People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), and thus prevented Cambodia to cite the Thai government's endorsement as earlier expected in its application at the Quebec meeting.
The Khmer-style Phnom Penh temple, with a history of more than 10 centuries, has long been an issue of dispute between the two countries, both having historically claimed ownership.
The International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that the temple belonged to Cambodia, while the only practical access by land to the temple, which stands atop a cliff, is from the Thai side of the border in Thailand's northeastern province Si Sa Ket.
Groups of Thai academics, senators, the opposition Democrat Party, and the PAD have criticized the government of endorsing Cambodia's bid to list the temple as World Heritage Site, citing threats to Thailand's territorial sovereignty over overlapping areas near the temple yet to be demarcated between the two neighboring countries.
On Saturday, Viwat Akarabutr, a coordinator for the Patriotic E-San (Northeast) Network, said more than 20 activist groups would gather to rally at the entrance of the temple demanding the Thai authorities to evict Cambodians who have homes and shops near the temple but inside Thai territory, according to Thai News Agency.
Viwat said the activists would also ask the Thai police on developments regarding their complaints lodged earlier about the alleged encroachment by Cambodian nationals.
Source: Xinhua
The Thai foreign minister left Bangkok Saturday to attend a World Heritage Committee meeting in Quebec, Canada, to explain Thailand's withdrawal of support to Cambodia's application to list the ancient Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.
Speaking to journalists before his departure, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said he would officially withdraw Thailand's endorsement of Cambodia's bid to list Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site as stated in an earlier signed Thai-Cambodian Joint Communique, and request the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to postpone its consideration on Phnom Penh's application during this session which began on Wednesday.
The Committee supervised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is due to complete its agenda next Thursday.
Noppadon said he would do whatever he could to defer consideration of listing the temple by explaining to the Committee the circumstances of an injunction granted by Thailand's Administrative Court on June 28, ordering the Thai government to suspend all activities to endorse Cambodia's bid over the Preah Vihear temple.
Noppadon had signed a Joint Communique with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An on June 18, one day after the cabinet approved to endorse a new map of the temple prepared by Cambodia.
The court injunction was granted in response to the petition by the anti-government group People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), and thus prevented Cambodia to cite the Thai government's endorsement as earlier expected in its application at the Quebec meeting.
The Khmer-style Phnom Penh temple, with a history of more than 10 centuries, has long been an issue of dispute between the two countries, both having historically claimed ownership.
The International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that the temple belonged to Cambodia, while the only practical access by land to the temple, which stands atop a cliff, is from the Thai side of the border in Thailand's northeastern province Si Sa Ket.
Groups of Thai academics, senators, the opposition Democrat Party, and the PAD have criticized the government of endorsing Cambodia's bid to list the temple as World Heritage Site, citing threats to Thailand's territorial sovereignty over overlapping areas near the temple yet to be demarcated between the two neighboring countries.
On Saturday, Viwat Akarabutr, a coordinator for the Patriotic E-San (Northeast) Network, said more than 20 activist groups would gather to rally at the entrance of the temple demanding the Thai authorities to evict Cambodians who have homes and shops near the temple but inside Thai territory, according to Thai News Agency.
Viwat said the activists would also ask the Thai police on developments regarding their complaints lodged earlier about the alleged encroachment by Cambodian nationals.
Source: Xinhua
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