Opposition leader calls for vigilance on Preah Vihear demarcation
Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has called on the government to keep a close watch on Cambodia's plan to draw up a demarcation map and management plans for Preah Vihear temple after the temple is listed as a World Heritage site. He was concerned that Thailand could be put at a disadvantage as in the past if the government failed to take the matter seriously.
He raised his concern after meeting the chairman of Thailand's World Heritage Committee, Pongpol Adireksarn, who explained the listing to the Democrats.
A document showing the committee's decision to approve Cambodia's application to list the Hindu temple ruins as a World Heritage site and related reports from an independent academic institute were shown to the Democrats.
According to the World Heritage Committee (WHC) decision, Cambodia will be required to draw up a map which will include details of the temple and to designate areas for conservation and management.
Cambodia will submit the map and management plan for the temple to the WHC by Feb 1 next year.
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| Pongpol Adireksarn, chairman of Thailand's World Heritage Committee, explains the details of Preah Vihear temple's heritage listing to Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva at the party headquarters yesterday. |
Mr Abhisit said the decision does not say how Thailand would be involved in the map-making process.
The drawing of the map will be based on a chart submitted to the WHC by Cambodia.
But Thailand's committee had not been able to get hold of the details of the chart so far, Mr Abhisit said.
The government cannot treat the issue lightly, as the WHC proposed a Thai representative sit on the seven-nation International Coordination Committee to safeguard and develop Preah Vihear, which will involve making management plans.
He said it is unlikely that the management plan will cover only the temple ruins. Nobody could tell how much land in Thailand the plan would cover.
Problems could arise if Cambodia's management plans cover the disputed overlapping area, he said.
The most urgent thing is for the government to negotiate with Cambodia to make sure any action by Phnom Penh will not infringe upon Thailand's rights, Mr Abhisit said. The government must try to impress upon the international community that Thailand does not accept the joint communique supporting the temple listing which was later the subject of an injunction issued by the Administrative Court.
Mr Pongpol confirmed that the WHC's decision to approve the temple listing will not affect Thailand's territory and the country did not lose any land.
He said he would be happy to take part in seminars to explain the issue to the public.
Historian Thepmontri Limpapayom wondered whether the proposed seven-nation committee may be linked to transnational trade in ancient artifacts.
''Many Thai and Cambodian ancient artifacts are on display at museums overseas. A piece from Ban Chiang in Udon Thani is on show at a museum in Paris,'' Mr Thepmontri said
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