Small yet elegant Ta Muen Thom sanctuary in Surin’s Phanom Dong Rak district. Both Thailand and Cambodia have claimed ownership over the 13th century temple, which is on the overlapping border. An ownership dispute caused the Thai Fine Arts Department to abandon the site in 2001. PHOTO: SANITSUDA EKACHAIBy Khmerization
Source: RFA
A senior Cambodian commander based at the border areas has threatened to use force if Thailand sends experts to repair Ta Moan Thom temple which is located on top of the Dangrek Mountains inside Cambodian territory in Oddar Meanchey province.
Gen. Chea Dara, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in charge of Khmer-Thai border areas, said Thai nationals cannot enter Cambodian territory to repair Ta Moan Thom temple which is situated under Cambodian territorial integrity. "Thailand has no right to do repair works on any Cambodian temples. This action is called invasion and any invasion will be met with the use of swift and effective self-defence rights", he said.
The warning from a Cambodian commander was issued after the Bangkok Post reported on Thursday 16th September that Thailand's Fine Arts Department planned to do repair works on Ta Moan Thom temple.
Mr. Var Kimhong, chairman of the Cambodian Border Commission, said today that Cambodia will never allow Thailand to do repair works on Ta Moan Thom temple because under the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty and the 1908 map, the temple is located under the sovereignty of Cambodia and therefore is a Cambodian temple. He said he had told the Thai Foreign Ministry during his visit to Thailand in 2001 that Thailand cannot touch Ta Moan Thom temple and warned that Cambodia will take legal action against Thailand if it started repair works on the temple. "N0! We won't allow them. Prasat Ta Moan is a Khmer temple. It is located very, very close border post No. 23. The French had planted that post north of the watershed and for Ta Moan Toch and Ta Moan temples, the border post was planted south of the watershed. The locations (of the temples) were drawn clearly in the map which both Thailand and Cambodia had been given the copies", he said.
Mr. Var Kimhong said in 2001 Thai Fine Arts department had come to do repair works on Ta Moan Thom temple once before, but when he went to visit the temple he told them to stop the works because Ta Moan Thom temple is a Cambodian temple.
Source: RFA
A senior Cambodian commander based at the border areas has threatened to use force if Thailand sends experts to repair Ta Moan Thom temple which is located on top of the Dangrek Mountains inside Cambodian territory in Oddar Meanchey province.
Gen. Chea Dara, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in charge of Khmer-Thai border areas, said Thai nationals cannot enter Cambodian territory to repair Ta Moan Thom temple which is situated under Cambodian territorial integrity. "Thailand has no right to do repair works on any Cambodian temples. This action is called invasion and any invasion will be met with the use of swift and effective self-defence rights", he said.
The warning from a Cambodian commander was issued after the Bangkok Post reported on Thursday 16th September that Thailand's Fine Arts Department planned to do repair works on Ta Moan Thom temple.
Mr. Var Kimhong, chairman of the Cambodian Border Commission, said today that Cambodia will never allow Thailand to do repair works on Ta Moan Thom temple because under the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty and the 1908 map, the temple is located under the sovereignty of Cambodia and therefore is a Cambodian temple. He said he had told the Thai Foreign Ministry during his visit to Thailand in 2001 that Thailand cannot touch Ta Moan Thom temple and warned that Cambodia will take legal action against Thailand if it started repair works on the temple. "N0! We won't allow them. Prasat Ta Moan is a Khmer temple. It is located very, very close border post No. 23. The French had planted that post north of the watershed and for Ta Moan Toch and Ta Moan temples, the border post was planted south of the watershed. The locations (of the temples) were drawn clearly in the map which both Thailand and Cambodia had been given the copies", he said.
Mr. Var Kimhong said in 2001 Thai Fine Arts department had come to do repair works on Ta Moan Thom temple once before, but when he went to visit the temple he told them to stop the works because Ta Moan Thom temple is a Cambodian temple.
2 comments:
Cambodia must do everything to protect Cambodian territorial integrity and never allow the Thais to start doing any repair works on any Khmer temples. If they come it means they trespassed on Cambodian territories and in such circumstances, under international laws, Cambodia has the rights to use self-defence.
It seems like anything belongs to Cambodia that is being touched by Thailand eventually becomes Thailand's property. Just like Preah Vihea, after the ICJ decision Cambodia was being understanding by allowing Thai to have access to the temple. Next thing Cambodia knows, Thailand altered and manipulate the facts so to make it sounds as though Preah Vihea belongs to Thailand. The clueless younger generations were being brainwashed to think so. When Cambodia presented with the truth, Thai people were shocked and in denial. Prassat Ta Moan Thum case could be the repeat of Phreah Vihea.
To make thing simple from future problem like this might occur, Cambodia must cease any co-operation with
Thailand pertaining to anything that could be used against
Cambodia, whether temple or territory, or whatever. When
it comes to agreement with Cambodia, Thailand has a nasty habits of ignoring and forgetting the agreement.
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