Wednesday, 13 January 2010

Deny link to Preah Vihear plan: academic


By The Nation
Published on January 12, 2010
via CAAI News Media

When Cambodia proposes its administration and conservation plan for the Preah Vihear Temple on February 1, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva should express Thailand's stance that it has never agreed to the plan nor been involved in drawing it up, an academic said yesterday.

ML Walwipha Charoonroj of Thammasat University's Thai Studies programme said the Cambodian plan would be submitted to Unesco headquarters in Paris to seek World Heritage Committee approval at the 34th general meeting in Brazil in July.

She will soon submit a letter calling on Abhisit to act.

The premier should notify the World Heritage Centre that the Administrative Court had evoked exPM Samak Sundaravej's June 17, 2008 Cabinet resolution assigning thenforeign minister Noppadon Pattama to sign a ThaiCambodian statement about the ancient Hindu temple, she said.

Unesco must also be notified the Thai Parliament had not approved the ThaiCambodian temporary agreement, and so the statement could not be used in any procedure.

However, a highranking Culture Ministry source said deputy permanent secretary Somsuda Leeyawanich, a member of the 21country World Heritage Committee, would be permitted to see the plan two months ahead of the meeting.

Thailand can study it to determine which details affected the Kingdom and then act to protect its benefits, the source said.

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