By Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation
Published on June 13, 2008
Residents of northeastern Si Sa Ket province yesterday launched a campaign against Cambodians living on the outskirts of the Preah Vihear temple, which they consider Thai territory.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that only the temple belongs to Cambodia, not the area downhill, said Thiva Rungkaew, chairman of Coordinating Committee for Si Sa Ket Province Development.
"We lost the temple 46 years ago and people in Si Sa Ket province will not allow the further loss of the area downhill," Thiva said by phone from Si Sa Ket, the province adjoining the site of the temple.
A dozen people paraded in the provincial downtown to express their dissatisfaction as they had learnt that some 1,000 Cambodians had occupied the area 300 metres downhill from the fence around the temple.
They held up posters saying, "We lost Prasat Pravihan [Preah Vihear temple in Thai] in 1962 and we will not lose anything more in 2008."
The group demanded the Cambodians move their stalls and community out of the area. Thiva will call a meeting on Sunday to prepare for another protest.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said Thailand and Cambodia have a joint boundary committee to handle the matter in accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed in 2000.
The ministry has lodged official protests with Cambodia over the building of road to the overlapping area in 2004, and the setting up of official outposts and a community in the area in 2005.
"Boundary is another issue. We should not mix it up with sovereignty over the temple and a proposal to list it as a World Heritage Site as this could make the issue more complicated," the spokesman said.
The Nation
Published on June 13, 2008
Residents of northeastern Si Sa Ket province yesterday launched a campaign against Cambodians living on the outskirts of the Preah Vihear temple, which they consider Thai territory.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that only the temple belongs to Cambodia, not the area downhill, said Thiva Rungkaew, chairman of Coordinating Committee for Si Sa Ket Province Development.
"We lost the temple 46 years ago and people in Si Sa Ket province will not allow the further loss of the area downhill," Thiva said by phone from Si Sa Ket, the province adjoining the site of the temple.
A dozen people paraded in the provincial downtown to express their dissatisfaction as they had learnt that some 1,000 Cambodians had occupied the area 300 metres downhill from the fence around the temple.
They held up posters saying, "We lost Prasat Pravihan [Preah Vihear temple in Thai] in 1962 and we will not lose anything more in 2008."
The group demanded the Cambodians move their stalls and community out of the area. Thiva will call a meeting on Sunday to prepare for another protest.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said Thailand and Cambodia have a joint boundary committee to handle the matter in accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed in 2000.
The ministry has lodged official protests with Cambodia over the building of road to the overlapping area in 2004, and the setting up of official outposts and a community in the area in 2005.
"Boundary is another issue. We should not mix it up with sovereignty over the temple and a proposal to list it as a World Heritage Site as this could make the issue more complicated," the spokesman said.
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