Cambodia's Talking Points on Preah Vihear temple

Source: Cambodia Council of Ministers

TALKING POINTS

The decision to discuss the various reports at the 35th Session of the World Heritage Committee next year has no impact on the implementation of the Management Plan for the conservation of the Temple of Preah Vihear. There is no requirement that the Committee approves our plan because the role of the World Heritage Committee is not to approve or disapprove any progress report or Management Plan submitted by a State party, but to review those documents in order to take note. . The conservation work is too important to be delayed.

The Royal Government has support in implementation of the Management Plan from the Report issued by the World Heritage Centre, which serves as the Secretariat to the World Heritage Committee. Relying upon the evaluation conducted by the WHC, and the technical experts at ICOMOS and other Advisory Bodies, Cambodia will proceed with implementation.

The Royal Government also won praise from a number of World Heritage Committee related organizations for the actions taken in the last year to improve conservation of the Preah Vihear Temple. These include landscaping, enlargement of the buffer zone, a village relocation, creation of an eco-global Museum, etc.

The World Heritage Committee also congratulated and supports steps taken by the Royal Government to create an international coordinating committee to support its conservation efforts.

Thus, Thailand failed in its efforts to derail the Management Plan, failed in its efforts to have the Temple inscribed by the two countries, and failed in its efforts to have joint management. However, the Committee’s did decide to allow additional time for the distribution and consideration of the documents, which will be discussed at the next Session. This decision in no way impedes our implementation of the Management Plan.

The only argument raised by the Thai delegation was that the reports and other documents were given to them too late. However, the record shows that the Management Plan and the Report on the Conservation of the Temple of Preah Vihear were delivered to the World Heritage Centre in January 2010, ahead of the schedule as decided by the World Heritage Committee.

It should be noted, however, that even after having received the WHC Report for 3 days, the Thai delegation had no substantive comment on the 4 page report.

The delay tactics of Thailand, which has occurred at each of the last 4 Sessions of the World Heritage Committee, is tantamount to the interference in the internal affairs of Cambodia. Since the 1962 decision of the International Court of Justice, the Temple of Preah Vihear and the area adjacent to it has been legally judged to be on Cambodian territory. Thus, Thailand is not a party at interest in the matter of Preah Vihear Temple, including its conservation.