UNESCO envoy calls for dialogue between Thailand, Cambodia

April 23, 2011
Xnihua

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Friday that the special envoy from UNESCO asked Thailand and Cambodia to hold talks before the next UNESCO meeting in Paris.

Speaking at a press conference after the latest round of border clash between the two countries, Kasit unveiled that Koichiro Matsuura, the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) special envoy, called for the two countries to hold bilateral dialogue before the UNESCO world heritage meeting in May.

He said Thailand agreed with the suggestion on condition that consideration of the management plan of the disputed Preah Vihear Temple should be postponed until border demarcation is fully completed.

The relation between Thailand and Cambodia has been even more strained since UNESCO listed the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Temple as the World Heritage Site in 2008. Last year, Thai delegation protested against Cambodia's proposed management plan for the temple, resulting in the UNESCO meeting in Brazil postponing the decision.

Thailand and Cambodia blamed each other for triggering the deadly clash on Friday morning in disputed border areas in Pa Nom Dong Rak district of Thailand's Surin province, killing at least three soldiers from each side.

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Cambodia and Thailand agree to UNESCO meeting over damaged

http://www.thailandnews.net/

via CAAI

Thailand News.Net

Thursday 24th March, 2011

Representatives of Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to a United Nations-sponsored meeting to discuss ways to safeguard the Preah Vihear Temple, a World Heritage List site that was damaged during border clashes between the South-East Asian neighbours earlier this year.The two sides will meet at the Paris headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 25 May, the agency reported this week.The agreement follows a recent mission to Cambodia and Thailand by Koi;chiro Matsuura, UNESCO's Special Envoy for Preah Vihear, who met with the prime ministers of the two nations and other senior officials.UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said in a statement that the main aim of the discussions on 25 May will be "further dialogue on the effective conservation of Preah Vihear." An 11th-century Hindu temple, Preah Vihear was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008 in recognition of its outstanding universal value. Considered an outstanding example of Khmer architecture, it consists of a complex of sanctuaries linked by pavements and staircases on an 800-metre-long axis.Ms. Bokova said she has also been briefing both Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the latest developments.

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Cambodian, Thai Authorities to Talk about Preah Vihear at UNESCO

http://english.cri.cn/

via CAAI

2011-03-12

Xinhua

Web Editor: Sun

Authorities from Cambodia and Thailand decided to seek dialogue on protection of the disputed Preah Vihear Temple at a meeting in the Paris headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on May 25, UNESCO said on Friday.

The UN world heritage watchdog attributed the convergence to a mission by the UNESCO special envoy for Preah Vihear, Koichiro Matsuura, to Bangkok, capital of Thailand, and Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia at the end of February.

UNESCO Director-general Irina Bokova said Matsuura's mission helped to "open the way for further dialogue on the effective conservation of Preah Vihear," which will be the main purpose of the discussions in Paris.

Thailand and Cambodia have long had disputes over the sovereign authority of the temple, with both sides claiming actual control of the region.

In 1962, the Hague-based International Court of Justice ruled that Cambodia possessed the authority of Preah Vihear, which sparked outrage in Thailand. Since the UNESCO added the temple to its World Heritage List in 2008, the two countries' disputes have escalated into several bloody clashes, leaving part of the temple destroyed.

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Unesco special envoy to visit Preah Vihear temple on Tuesday

By Khmerization
Source: RFA

A Cambodia heritage official said that Unesco is expected to provide emergency fund for the repair of damages to Preah Vihear temple caused by Thai artillery shells during armed clashes from 4-7 February.

Mr. Chuch Phoeung, chairman of the Preah Vihear National Authority, said Unesco's special envoy Koichiro Matsuura (pictured) and diplomats from countries that are members of the Unesco Permanent Committee will be flown by helicopter to Preah Vihear temple on Tuesday 1st March to inspect the damages caused by fighting between Cambodian and Thai troops. "According to the plan, on 1st March we will fly the Unesco special envoy (Koichiro Matsuura) and diplomats from countries that are members of Unesco Permanent Committee (to Preah Vihear temple). But I don't know the exact number of diplomats who will be flown there", he said.

Mr. Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said the trip of the Unesco special envoy to Preah Vihear is more of a diplomatic mission than a technical mission. "The visit of His Excellency (Koichiro Matsuura) the representative of Her Excellency (Irina Bokova, Unesco Director-General) is more of a diplomatic mission than a technical mission. As we have known, he is coming to assess the political situation under the obligation of the 1954 Geneva Convention as well as the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage as well as world heritage sites", he said.

Mr. Koichiro Matsuura is expected to arrive in Phnom Penh this afternoon, 27th February, and is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen and Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, who is in charge of heritage affairs.

Cambodian heritage officials based at the site said during the armed clashes from 4-7 February, Thai soldiers had fired many rounds of 155mm, 130mm, 105mm artillery shells as well 410 rounds of cluster bombs at Preah Vihear temple, causing substantial damages to the temple structures.

The Preah Vihear National Authority said it is expected that Unesco will provide emergency fund for the repair of the temple damages in accordance with the 1972 convention.

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