The area around the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian border, which has been proposed as a World Heritage site, should be managed jointly by the two countries

Wednesday February 13, 2008
PREAH VIHEAR THAI-CAMBODIAN DISPUTE

Temple area 'should be jointly managed'
PIYAPORN WONGRUANG


The area around the ancient Preah Vihear temple on the Thai-Cambodian
border, which has been proposed as a World Heritage site, should be
managed jointly by the two countries to avoid stirring up conflicts
between them, a seminar was told yesterday. Associate Professor
Surachart Bamrungsuk, a military strategy expert at Chulalongkorn
University's political science faculty, said at the seminar that the
site proposed by Cambodia also covers a disputed common border area.


Therefore, until the dispute could be settled, the area should be
jointly managed by the two neighbours so they could feel at ease with
one another in dealing with the issue.


It is virtually impossible now to delay Cambodia's world heritage site
application, and therefore working together would be the best way out,
he said.


Under the joint management concept, both Thailand and Cambodia would
benefit, said Assoc Prof Surachart.


The area could be developed into the region's new tourism magnet, he
added.


It is unlikely that world heritage status for Preah Vihear would rule
out Thailand's claim of sovereignty over the disputed area since it
has nothing to do with border demarcation, he said.


''Demarcation problems in this region are a legacy of colonisation in
the past, and obviously they are not easy to fix. However, we may find
a way out of this if we just look beyond the border and look for an
opportunity during a crisis,'' the academic said.


In 2001 Cambodia officially asked the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation to put Phreah Vihear on the World
Heritage List, and has since developed its proposal without Thailand's
participation. Thailand last year protested against Cambodia's
proposal at a World Heritage Committee meeting in New Zealand.


This resulted in a recommendation that the two neighbours work
together on how to manage the site. Thailand is still waiting for
Cambodia's response.


Preah Vihear is a cluster of ancient Khmer temples that sit atop a
cliff in a border area claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia.


The International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that Cambodia has
sovereignty over the temple ruins and parts of their surroundings
.

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