PREAH VIHEAR
Pongpol promises to protect Thai interests
POST REPORTERS
Supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy march from Makkhawan Rangsan bridge to the National Counter Corruption Commission office. Core PAD leaders led by Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang presented a petition calling on the commission to bring criminal charges against the entire cabinet over the Preah Vihear temple saga. |
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) yesterday asked the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) to bring criminal charges against the Samak cabinet over the Preah Vihear temple row.
In a petition handed to the anti-graft agency, the PAD accused the cabinet, senior officials at the Foreign Ministry, the director of the Survey Department under the Supreme Command, the secretary-general of the National Security Council and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of failure to comply with the constitution and abuse of power that led to the loss of land and sovereignty.
Mr Thaksin was included in the petition because the PAD alleges a deal was made - Thailand's support for Cambodia's listing of the temple as a World Heritage site in exchange for Mr Thaksin getting business deals in Cambodia, a PAD statement said.
Senators Rosana Tositrakul and Somchai Sawaengkarn presented a second petition calling on the NCCC to take legal action against the cabinet over the same issue.
Miss Rosana said the government must officially revoke the joint communique signed by then-foreign minister Noppadon Pattama and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An.
She said she had a World Heritage Committee document which showed the World Heritage site at the temple covers areas around the entrance staircase, which could become a point of contention in the future.
The Lawyers Council also plans to ask the Administrative Court to order the cabinet to release the cabinet resolution document relating to the joint declaration.
The government earlier claimed that the June 17 cabinet resolution on the issue had mistakenly not been filed.
Chairman of the Thai World Heritage Committee Pongpol Adireksan promised to run an "aggressive policy" to protect Thai interests when the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) begins functioning, probably in February next year.
"The Fine Arts Department will not only draw a map showing the temple's surrounding landscape located in Thailand. It will also clearly show the area of the Preah Vihear temple, which the World Court gave to Cambodia," he said.
Responding to concerns over the ICC's job description, Mr Pongpol said Thailand and Cambodia would each be represented on the seven-country committee and it would not pose any risk to Thai territory.
The ICC would manage only the temple itself and not the overlapping area, which has not been demarcated.
He said many World Heritage sites have an ICC to make recommendations and raise funds, such as Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.
He had already assigned the Department of Fine Arts and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to prepare a proposal for the area surrounding the temple in Thailand and the Preah Vihear national park in Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket to be listed as a World Heritage site next year.
The Thai World Heritage Committee will also publish a white paper outlining what the committee had done during the negotiations in Quebec.
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