By The Nation
Published on May 12, 2008
Thailand will soon end its dispute with Cambodia over the proposed listing of Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage Site without making any trade-offs for oil rights, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said yesterday.
"We are negotiating to have a joint administration run the temple and its grounds," Noppadon said. "We'll have a joint statement on the issue soon."
The International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled the Hindu temple belonged to Cambodia.
Thailand had no objection to listing the site until Phnom Penh, in preparing its application, annexed 4.6 square kilometres of land with overlapping ownership claims.
Thailand has suggested the contested area be managed by a bilateral body.
Both sides need to reach an agreement before the UN Educational, Science and Culture Organisation makes its final
listing decision in July.
The issue was politicised by some newspaper columnists who alleged the government would concede to Cambodia's proposal if Phnom Penh granted oil and gas concessions to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Cambodia has discovered potential oil and natural gas reserves in the Gulf of Thailand in its own territory and in overlapping areas. The two countries are working on a joint development scheme, Noppadon said.
The talks were on a government-to-government basis and the private sector was not involved.
He said, adding he had no idea whether Thaksin had struck a deal with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen.
"I don't want to speak on behalf of former premier Thaksin, but I believe he would never barter away Thai territory for business interests," he said.
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