PREAH VIHEAR
Troops will stay put in temple area, Abhisit says
- Published: 30/06/2009 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
Thailand will not withdraw its troops from the disputed border area near the Preah Vihear temple, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva says.
Abhisit: Will keep fighting WHC ruling
The prime minister yesterday reiterated the government's stance against the World Heritage Committee and Unesco's approval of Phnom Penh's unilateral listing of the Preah Vihear temple ruins as a World Heritage site.
Mr Abhisit said he did not want the Preah Vihear issue to affect relations and other areas of cooperation between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
However, he said Thai troops would remain in the 4.6 square kilometre area claimed by the two countries close to the temple.
The prime minister said the government felt the need to reserve the right to maintain its opposition to the temple listing.
The government is renewing its campaign against the listing of the 11th century Hindu temple ruins as Cambodia was due to submit a progress report to a World Heritage Committee meeting in Seville, Spain, after it successfully pushed for the ancient temple to be put on the World Heritage list last year.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti is in Seville seeking a review of the temple listing at the WHC meeting there.
Mr Abhisit said he was waiting for the outcome of talks between the Thai delegation and the WHC.
Mr Abhisit said he had just learned that Unesco had decided to postpone consideration of the request for a review of Preah Vihear's World Heritage status until next year because it had not received information from Cambodia.
Mr Abhisit said although Thailand was required to comply with a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling, which awarded the temple to Cambodia, it could still reserve its right to express opposition to the ruling.
In July last year, Unesco granted Preah Vihear World Heritage site status, despite Thai objections.
Mr Abhisit said new information or evidence regarding the temple could lead to a review of the ruling.
"I insist that the Thai government will maintain the country's rights," Mr Abhisit said.
"We have inherited this problem from the past. Now we need to talk about the present and the future."
Norachit Singhaseni, Thailand's permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, said the UN was concerned about the military stand-off between the two neighbouring countries, although the issue was not yet an item on the UN agenda.
Mr Norachit backed the proposal to set up joint development and management areas for Preah Vihear so the two countries could avoid clashes over their unsettled boundary.
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- Writer: POST REPORTERS
