'Tough Stand' urged if Phnom Penh tables plan

Govt prepared to boycott World Heritage meeting: Preecha

Ministry officials are concerned Cambodia might again table a universal management plan for the disputed area around the Preah Vihear Temple at a Unesco World Heritage Committee (WHC) meeting in Phnom Penh next month.

They will recommend to Cabinet next week that Thailand take a tough stand should Cambodia put forward the plan at the 37th session of the WHC meeting on June 16.

After the Preah Vihear Temple was designated a World Heritage Site in 2008, Cambodia proposed a plan at the 35th session of the WHC in France.

Thai representatives led by then natural resources and environment minister Suwit Khunkiti objected and announced Thailand would withdraw its Unesco membership if the organisation approved this Cambodian plan.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk said yesterday WHC meeting agendas so far hadn't included a Preah Vihear plan - but the ministry would submit Thailand's prepared stance on the matter for Cabinet's consideration on May 28.

He said Thailand was prepared to object and be absent from the meeting if the WHC insisted on considering the plan - or a matter related to Thailand's sovereignty over territory - and would not cooperate according to the WHC resolution on the matter, if it affected Thailand's sovereignty.

Preecha said Thailand should protest that Cambodia was sending experts to survey the land around the temple.

This was against the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s temporary order for both sides not to do anything pending a ruling on interpretation of the June 15, 1962 judgement about Preah Vihear - and the survey and boundary setting result under the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) framework.

Thailand would also object to a WHC fund allocation to support Cambodia in any activities on Thai territory.

It urged the WHC to probe Cambodia's alleged spending of WHC funds for purposes other than to conserve and rehabilitate the world heritage site.

If the WHC considered the agenda - 7B: State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties Inscribed on the World Heritage List - and Cambodia proposed the plan as an additional item, Thailand should be prepared to check the accuracy of documents and to argue and explain its case to WHC member countries, he said.

At the upcoming WHC meeting, Cambodia would serve as the chairman while Thailand would act as deputy chairman, along with four other countries - Algeria, Colombia, Senegal and Switzerland. This would be a good chance for Thailand to monitor and review WHC meetings on a daily basis and to argue and insist on its stance, Preecha said.

At the meeting, Thailand planned to propose listing Nakhon Si Thammarat's Phra Borom That Chedi at Wat Mahathat Worawihan as a World Heritage site, he added.

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/05/23/tough-stand-urged-if-phnom-penh-tables-plan/