PREAH VIHEAR RUINS
THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL
The World Heritage Committee (WTC) meeting in Quebec, Canada, late last night approved Cambodia's application to list the 11th century Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.
It did not take into account the controversial joint communique between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, a Thai delegate to the meeting said before the decision was made.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama explained the Administrative Court's temporary injunction to the 21 WTC members, Pongpol Adireksan, chairman of the Thai World Heritage Committee, said.
Mr Pongpol is there as an observer.
The court issued an injunction against the cabinet's June 17 resolution, which gave approval for Mr Noppadon to sign a joint communique with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An the following day. Mr Noppadon's signature conveyed Thailand's support for Cambodia's bid to list the temple as a World Heritage site.
The WHC only considered the report of the International Council for Monuments and Sites as a basis for making the decision, Mr Pongpol said.
Bangkok was opposed to Phnom Penh's proposal, instead favouring a joint nomination of the site.
Thailand had been unable to convince the WHC to postpone the issue and wait for a joint nomination, or to defer it until the next meeting.
The WHC said the Preah Vihear issue had already been postponed once, at last year's gathering in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The meeting also inscribed the cities of the Straits of Malacca: Melaka and Georgetown in Malaysia, and the Kuk Early Agricultural Site in Papua New Guinea, AFP reported.
The WHC had sent its representatives to talk with the Thai and Cambodian delegates to clarify their positions.
Mr Pongpol said the temple listing would have no effect on the demarcation of the border between the two countries. It was specifically only the temple site.
Mr Pongpol said political problems in Thailand had affected the country's ability to lobby committee members.
''We are at a disadvantage. Cambodia regards Preah Vihear as a national issue and continued lobbying when Thailand was undergoing a coup,'' he said.
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Next
