[His Majesty King Norodom Sihanuk really needed to make himself more popular among his own people ?(two sides of the coin) Or Thai side playing innocent].
The question of Preah Vihear Temple is really unfortunate. It is a real misunderstanding. It happened out of a molehill which, fired by the pride of politicians on both sides, had become a mountain whose right must be defended by both sides to the last.
Nobody, neither in Thailand nor in Cambodia, seemed to know anything about Preah Vihear and its importance as a historical monument. What is worse nobody really knows where is the frontier. The Foreign Office of Thailand did not possess the map annexed to the Franco-Thai Treaty of 1907 which was made by Lt.-Col. Bernard, with the knowledge of the Thai commissioners who in 1907 had no knowledge of map-making and rather left to Bernard to draw it up and then to endorse it. There was no military occupation of the Preah Vihear Temple as asserted by some American and French historians. Nobody knew of it. It was left in the jungle, until a short while before the dispute, somebody went to see it, talked about it, and other people, including the police, as private individuals went to see it, and thus it became a centre of tourism on the Thai side, when it also awoke Sihanouk to the feeling that he must claim it, in order to make himself more popular among his own people. The Thai of course thought that this was unjust since the temple perched on a hill top, accessible from their side of the frontier looking over a steep precipice on to the Cambodian plain beneath. Since no archives were started and the map annexed to the treaty was lost, the Thai thought that out of geographical reasons, it could not have belonged to Cambodia. As early as 1939 while I was in the Ministry of Education I conceived of an idea of having a map depicting historical sites printed and distributed to schools. I therefore took the matter up with my colleagues in the Fine Arts Department, who gave me along with other pictures to copy on to the map also the picture of the Preah Vihear Temple within the boundaries of Thailand. This temple was therefore printed on the map at the time, 10,000 copies made that same year and distributed to all the schools in Thailand. Preah Vihear, being on the side of Thai watershed, not accessible from the Cambodian side because of the high precipice, unless a staircase was made, was taken to be within Thailand and nobody seemed to doubt it at the time. The second time I heard of it was when I became a police officer, and member of the National Police Council. One day in 1953 the Director-General of the National Police Department, the late General Phao Sriyanonda, in the usual monthly meeting of the Police Council, mentioned to the members of the council about the Preah Vihear Temple that a group of police constables, without instruction from anybody, and following in the wake of a flow of tourists, went to see the temple out of curiosity as simple private individuals and stayed on top. During their stay a group of Cambodian soldiers came along, and when they saw the Thai police lying about in the temple, they said nothing and went away.
The Cambodian Government, or rather Prince Sihanouk, took this to be Thai occupation of the place, and the Thai said nothing. A big campaign was made at once by Sihanouk to make it into a big affair, apparently to impress the people in his usual tactic in making himself popular, that the place was intruded and occupied by a Thai military force, and that he would drive them out. This sparked off also Thai pride to put up a resistance against the accusation, by holding on to it. After this the campaign went hotter and hotter, and both earnestly believed that the place was part of their kingdom and how could it be given up without injuring national prestige. In 1955 Prince Sihanouk wanted to participate more fully in Cambodian politics by taking the reign of government himself. He abdicated and appointed his father, Suramarit, king instead. Sihanouk who felt that Thailand was his enemy, who were waiting for the chance to annex his country, was even more convinced by the Preah Vihear incident that Thailand was having designs on his country. The temple was made an object of general attacks by mass media and as Marshal Sarit also broke out in vehemence, Sihanouk broke off diplomatic relations with Thailand in 1959, and brought the case before the International Court of Justice at the Hague. At the time Marshall Sarit was the Thai Prime Minister, and he appointed Seni Pramoj, ex-Prime Minister and Head of Free Thai Movement, a well-known Thai lawyer, to defend the case. As a lawyer, of course, he had no historical knowledge of Preah Vihear and looked at the matter from a purely legal angle. The French strongly supported Cambodia against Thailand and provided all sots of documents preserved in their national archives, which the Thai did not possess. Unfortunately quite unaware, the map was completely contrary to all expectations because it departed from the natural watershed and went round into Thailand at the point where Preah Vihear was located. The court would not consider any geographical reason nor any international usage ruling, but stuck to what was to be found in the map. So Thailand lost the case on the 15th June 1962. The breach between Thailand and Cambodia widened. Thai amour-proper was hurt, especially when her ally, the U.S.A., took the side of Cambodia. Quite aggrieved over the situation, Marshal Sarit gave vent to his grief over Thai broadcast. This gave an impression to Sihanouk even further that Thailand was thinking of preparing for the offensive against the integrity of Cambodia. After a few days Marshall Sarit got over his grief and complied with the decision of the International Court of Justice.
(note: this article is intended for Khmer to understand Thai Ideology thanks from L.C)
Nobody, neither in Thailand nor in Cambodia, seemed to know anything about Preah Vihear and its importance as a historical monument. What is worse nobody really knows where is the frontier. The Foreign Office of Thailand did not possess the map annexed to the Franco-Thai Treaty of 1907 which was made by Lt.-Col. Bernard, with the knowledge of the Thai commissioners who in 1907 had no knowledge of map-making and rather left to Bernard to draw it up and then to endorse it. There was no military occupation of the Preah Vihear Temple as asserted by some American and French historians. Nobody knew of it. It was left in the jungle, until a short while before the dispute, somebody went to see it, talked about it, and other people, including the police, as private individuals went to see it, and thus it became a centre of tourism on the Thai side, when it also awoke Sihanouk to the feeling that he must claim it, in order to make himself more popular among his own people. The Thai of course thought that this was unjust since the temple perched on a hill top, accessible from their side of the frontier looking over a steep precipice on to the Cambodian plain beneath. Since no archives were started and the map annexed to the treaty was lost, the Thai thought that out of geographical reasons, it could not have belonged to Cambodia. As early as 1939 while I was in the Ministry of Education I conceived of an idea of having a map depicting historical sites printed and distributed to schools. I therefore took the matter up with my colleagues in the Fine Arts Department, who gave me along with other pictures to copy on to the map also the picture of the Preah Vihear Temple within the boundaries of Thailand. This temple was therefore printed on the map at the time, 10,000 copies made that same year and distributed to all the schools in Thailand. Preah Vihear, being on the side of Thai watershed, not accessible from the Cambodian side because of the high precipice, unless a staircase was made, was taken to be within Thailand and nobody seemed to doubt it at the time. The second time I heard of it was when I became a police officer, and member of the National Police Council. One day in 1953 the Director-General of the National Police Department, the late General Phao Sriyanonda, in the usual monthly meeting of the Police Council, mentioned to the members of the council about the Preah Vihear Temple that a group of police constables, without instruction from anybody, and following in the wake of a flow of tourists, went to see the temple out of curiosity as simple private individuals and stayed on top. During their stay a group of Cambodian soldiers came along, and when they saw the Thai police lying about in the temple, they said nothing and went away.
The Cambodian Government, or rather Prince Sihanouk, took this to be Thai occupation of the place, and the Thai said nothing. A big campaign was made at once by Sihanouk to make it into a big affair, apparently to impress the people in his usual tactic in making himself popular, that the place was intruded and occupied by a Thai military force, and that he would drive them out. This sparked off also Thai pride to put up a resistance against the accusation, by holding on to it. After this the campaign went hotter and hotter, and both earnestly believed that the place was part of their kingdom and how could it be given up without injuring national prestige. In 1955 Prince Sihanouk wanted to participate more fully in Cambodian politics by taking the reign of government himself. He abdicated and appointed his father, Suramarit, king instead. Sihanouk who felt that Thailand was his enemy, who were waiting for the chance to annex his country, was even more convinced by the Preah Vihear incident that Thailand was having designs on his country. The temple was made an object of general attacks by mass media and as Marshal Sarit also broke out in vehemence, Sihanouk broke off diplomatic relations with Thailand in 1959, and brought the case before the International Court of Justice at the Hague. At the time Marshall Sarit was the Thai Prime Minister, and he appointed Seni Pramoj, ex-Prime Minister and Head of Free Thai Movement, a well-known Thai lawyer, to defend the case. As a lawyer, of course, he had no historical knowledge of Preah Vihear and looked at the matter from a purely legal angle. The French strongly supported Cambodia against Thailand and provided all sots of documents preserved in their national archives, which the Thai did not possess. Unfortunately quite unaware, the map was completely contrary to all expectations because it departed from the natural watershed and went round into Thailand at the point where Preah Vihear was located. The court would not consider any geographical reason nor any international usage ruling, but stuck to what was to be found in the map. So Thailand lost the case on the 15th June 1962. The breach between Thailand and Cambodia widened. Thai amour-proper was hurt, especially when her ally, the U.S.A., took the side of Cambodia. Quite aggrieved over the situation, Marshal Sarit gave vent to his grief over Thai broadcast. This gave an impression to Sihanouk even further that Thailand was thinking of preparing for the offensive against the integrity of Cambodia. After a few days Marshall Sarit got over his grief and complied with the decision of the International Court of Justice.
(note: this article is intended for Khmer to understand Thai Ideology thanks from L.C)
4 comments:
Misunderstanding??????? You idiots!!! This been Khmer land and temple, period!!!! Do I need to shove a history in your mouth or your ass!! The history did not get you. The court did not get you!! Maybe I need to ,?!,., your ?!?!!
"Nobody, neither in Thailand nor in Cambodia, seemed to know anything about Preah Vihear and its importance as a historical monument. What is worse nobody really knows where is the frontier. The Foreign Office of Thailand did not possess the map annexed to the Franco-Thai Treaty of 1907 which was made by Lt.-Col. Bernard, with the knowledge of the Thai commissioners who in 1907 had no knowledge of map-making and rather left to Bernard to draw it up and then to endorse it. There was no military occupation of the Preah Vihear Temple as asserted by some American and French historians."
These statements made by this Siem is twisted and full of uneducated speculations. If you are going to give an opinion at least get the facts straight and then back up with supporting and substantial details. I would hate to use this word, but this Siem compel me to use it. This guy is retarded. I'm not using this word in the context of a mentally disable person. I'm implying to this ignorant Siem writer.
The Great Khmer Empire
I swear this dumbass sounded like Tan the Thai. That knocklehead who wrote this article is Siem, of course he made it sound as though Thailand is innocent. He came up with some of the stupiest twisted version of his own opinion. Whatever, it's all irrelvence because Cambodia have all the documents pertaining to Preah Vihear. Cambodia is the on the right. Notice, he denied Thailand ever had the possesion the border map of Siemese-Franco Treaty in 1907. Really? Is that why Thailand sketched its own 4.6km of so-called disputed land because Thailand wasn't sure or didn't have the 1907 border map agreed by the treaty in 1907. I'm surprise Thailand didn't draw that map right over Preah Vihear as part of the disputed territory.
We know that as soon as the French gave Cambodia independence in 1953, Thailand took advantage of that by mobilized its troops and occupied Preah Vihear. King Sihanouk was clever enough to have gone through the political mean by turning to ICJ to win back Preah Vihear. Thailand lost that case, yet still refused to give up. So agreement were made so that Thai citizens can come and go to see Preah Vihear. But Thai government twisted this part of the story by making claim of Preah Vihear is part of Thailand property. In 2008, when Cambodia have Preah Vihear listed under UNSCO, this pissed-off Thailand. All along, Thai people thought Preah Vihear was part of Thailand. Thailand lied to itself all these time until the truth came out, it shocked them to the core. What's really sick about it is, Thailand drew it own map of 4.6km and call it a "dispute territory" all just to make Cambodia react so Thai troops can be deploy to retake Preah Vihear. At the same time, many Thai idiots like the author of this article, begins to come up with their own innocent version of Thailand fuck up. This is part of Thailand propaganda to lessen the blows. Nice try but the worlds knows the truth. Thailand will never abandon for the lost of Preah Vihear to Cambodia. Thailand wants another agreement with Cambodia to share Preah Vihear temple, all for the purpose of business of tourism. It never meant religious symbolic to them. They see it as dollars sign. Cambodia must no longer allow Thailand to have share of this temple. They have partially destroyed it, therefore, Thailand should never have anything to do with Preah Vihear whatsoever.
I don't think there is any misundertanding on the issue of Preah Vihear. Don't try to assume or making any connection with Thailand's internal political bloodshed with the issue of Preah Vihear and call it," FIRED BY THE PRIDE OF POLITICIANS ON BOTH SIDES". As far as Cambodia, internal politic has nothing to do with it. Hun Sen political gain has nothing to do with sending Cambodian troops to the border front of Cambodia/Thailand. Hun Sen didn't risk the lives of Cambodia troops to defend Cambodia territory for the sake of reducing his unpopularity. Cambodia government was just doing what is legal by defending their property and territory from an aggressive neighbor who didn't like the idea of Cambodia getting a good spotlight. When UNESCO listed Preah Vihear as world heritage site, it infuriated and shocked Thailand. Cambodia was doing what was good for her nation, but what was good for Cambodia translated to something of an offensive to Thai pride and dignity due to this delusional mindset of their superiority over Cambodia and her people.
Cambodia is well aware of her properties. I'm sure Thailand is well aware of Cambodia's properties and the potential to make profit. Angkor Wat had brought much profit for Thailand and Preah Vear is no different. The statement of, " NO BODY, NEITHER IN THAILAND NOR IN CAMBODIA, SEEMED TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PREAH VIHEAR AND ITS IMPORTANT AS A HISTORICAL MONUMENT. WHAT IS WORSE, NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHERE IS THE FRONTIER", is base on ignorant. Are you aware of the Siemese-Franco agreement in 1907? Or do you not know that there was one? Or if you did, you just think that agreement was just a piece of paper and has no value attach to it. Wouldn't you think Cambodia took accountability of her properties, importantly such temple as Preah Vihear, Prasat Tamaon, Ta Krabey, and hundreds more dotted Cambodia's landscape, after border were agreed upon in 1907? As far as Preah Vihear, accessibility has nothing to do with Thailand claim. What the heck is that suppose to mean? Easy access from Thailand, therefore, it must be right for Preah Vihear to be Thailand property? That's the dumb-est reason to for an arguement. Even if Preah Vihear perch on a cliff ready fall onto Cambodia side of the territory, Cambodia will find a way to access the temple. Accessibility from Thailand is not the only way.
I say such B.S. written by this old ignorant fool above is irrelevence and only good for serving Thailand propaganda and its uneducated citizens and other uninformed people. Thai may think Cambodian are stupid but it's the Thai who appearently are more stupid than Cambodian when digging for the truth. This is a publicity stunt propagated by certain Yellow shirt loyalist in an attempt to take less beating and pounding from outside observers who had been scolding at Thailand and its military junter government for creating upheaval and instability in the region.
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