Thailand backtracks on Preah Vihear claims
January 28, 2008
Thailand’s top brass today began trying to salvage the diplomatic snafu that erupted last week over Preah Vihear.
The Defence Ministry yesterday rushed to retract statements made by a spokesman that Cambodia had “made up” history in a bid to claim the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear for Phnom Penh’s unilateral benefit.
Top brass were urgently calling counterparts across the border yesterday to clarify statements made on Thursday by ministry spokesman Lt-General Pichsanu Puchakarn.
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The military statement on Thursday was a surprise. Pichsanu said Cambodia had created a new boundary in order to claim sovereignty of the entire area and was campaigning for international support for this.
He condemned Cambodia and demanded diplomats lodge an official protest with Phnom Penh.
Yesterday the ministry changed its tune. Supreme Command civil-affairs chief Lt-General Plangkul Klahan and Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said the previous day’s statement was incorrect.
Incorrect, indeed.
January 30, 2008 at 5:19 am
Cambodia was a great Empire. Most of Thailand’s land belonged to Cambodia. I don’t know why these Thailanders want what’s not there’s. Preah Vihear; is a Khmer temple.
February 5, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I think the message by khmer_pride is quite backward in todays environment. History evolves through expansions and wars. Such claims that ‘Most of Thailand’s land belonged to Cambodia’ is a false sense of ancient great empire which degraded and disappeared and fall to several King of Siam. Even the Angkor Wat failed at the hand of Siamese at one point in history. If we want to lay claim that trace at the origin of time, the Khmer’s land is non-existence.
But the recent act of Cambodian government trying to claim Thai territory, including access road built by Thai government for the mutual benefits of our two country is not an act of a once great empire. It is merely an act of a troubled and backward thinking.
Cambodia ‘WAS’ a great empire that also took land from others.
March 3, 2008 at 3:21 pm
what Somphon Potisophon said is very biased and misleading. Cambodia always claims that the world heritage site will include only site in the Cambodia territory which is the whole temple granted to us by the International court. How he indicated history doenst make sense and very inconsistent, non-existence to which point? how about the point of khmer empire? And it means he doenst respect the decision made by the International court?
“including access road built by Thai government for the mutual benefits of our two country is not an act of a once great empire…” ????
I dont know where he got this? I wonder it might be the access road built by thai government, not a mutual benifits favoring the thai without any consent from the Cambodia party during our civil war? And Cambodia never want to include that road as long as it is not part of our land.
Thai should stop trying to get benifit from Cambodia, and Get over themselves.
March 3, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Why does everything need to be politicized?
This whole saga is about a wonderful site of WORLD Heritage. This means it belongs to the world, not just one or two countries.
This project could be a great opportuniy to show the world that Cambodia and Thailand can work together as civilized countries on an equal foot, with mutual respect and respect for international law. The temple itself is in Cambodia; the easiest access is via Thailand. Obviously it is in everyone’s interest to cooperate. At least it should be.
Tom
March 4, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Well, you are right Tommickx, in a sense.
But when Cambodia complet the construction of a paved road from their side with a cable car, most tourist might flow from Cambodian side which means the loss of Thai. And that is gonna happen.
And that is why it became politicized.
May 9, 2008 at 3:50 pm
i think the only problem is thai government worried about losing their profit from Preah Vihar.
I don understand why Preah Vihar is belonging to Khmer , while some part of it is belonging to other?
SOMEONE STOLE IT or what?