Both Countries Claim Victory in Temple Decision

 

When UNICCO World Heritage Committee President Juca Ferreira declared a ?great victory" after aside line meeting between Cambodia and Thailand at the committee's annual meeting in Braal last Thursday, he may have spoken too sooa. The "compromise draft decision" on PreahVihear temple signed dur?ing the meeting, Mr. Ferreira claimed at the time, was "fundamental for a dialogue to be established" between the two nations.

Since the signing of the draft decision, however, both sides have provided completely opposing views about its meaning. In a statement Monday, the Cambodian government claimed that by signing the draft decision which "recalled" decisions made at the past three committee meetings and "noted" that Cambodia had submitted its temple management plan and other documents Thailand had re?lented and now officially recognized those documents and decisions.

For its part, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement rejecting this assertion. 'Thailand's concurrence with the decision is based on the understanding that it is without prejudice to Thailand's boundary claims, and that any document relating to the inscription of the Temple of Phra Viharn on the World Heritage list does not bind Thailand under international law," it said, using the Thai name for the temple.

 

Sourced=Thecambodia-daily