A Change of Guard

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Thursday 5 May 2011

Reply to Thai's argument: Preah Vihear is a Cambodian temple

By KVY
Read original post here.

1. The only accessible gate way to the Khmer Preah Vihear temple is made on the Thai soil. So the temple must be joint-listed.

Answer: Nonsense. The previous Cambodian territory extends as far as on the present Thai soil. That's why the border of Thailand and Cambodia is demarcated close to the Preah Vihear's stairs.

2.To make the temple really becomes the World Heritage site, the temple must be listed with all other subordinates that are now existing in the Thai soil and the temple must be co-managed between Thailand and Cambodia.

Answer: We have another solution rather than joint benefit with Thailand. Since the temple and its surrounding areas are situated in Cambodia, based on French-Thai map, Thai doesn't have any right to claim for benefits from the Preah Vihear temple. Since the borderline separates the temple in Cambodia and its remaining sites in Thailand, Thai can request its own site as another heritage site, based on UNESCO's decision.

3. The verdict of International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962 gives Cambodia only the temple, but not the surrounding land. The ICJ did not demarcate the border line between the two countries, so the borderline is not known and the 4.6km square is not clear to which country it belongs.

Answer: ICJ claims Preah Vihear as a world heritage site based on French-Thai map 1904-1907. France and Thai conducted talks whether or not they accepted the watershed as the borderline. However, it was just a note during meeting. It's not an official treaty or agreement. The official agreement and map (official paper) was sent to Thailand. Thailand signed and accepted officially and then requested more copies from France. It was about half century before International Court ruled that Preah Vihear is in Cambodia's territory. ICJ doesn't have to re-demarcate the borderline because there was the French-Thai 1904-1907 map and treaty that determines the Thai-Cambodia's borderline. Even though ICJ didn't demarcate the borderline between the two country, Thailand must accept the International Law which was declared by UN. Every country has its own sovereignty and must be protected, based on their map, which is recognized internationally. The map that was drawn by Thailand is an unacceptable map or a fraud map. Weather in purpose or not, it is against the international law.

4. The French made-map has a problem, because the map has its basis on the watershed of the two countries as the borderlines, but the case of Preah Vihear temple it does not follow the watershed at all, so Thailand must disagree with it.

Answer: The map is based on watershed, but the map doesn't include Preah Vihear and surrounding area in Thailand. Thus, Thai must accept this. It is not a technical problem. It is about official map and treaty between Thailand and France.

5. The watershed of the two countries has been changed gradually due to the geographical change caused by the environment, so the new agreement to re-demarcate of the two countries´s borderlines must be set by the Thais to reassured its rights according to the watershed basis.

Answer: Is there only Thailand can demarcate the borderline clearly? Cambodia doesn't have any Geographic technician? Even though there is a change due to environment, the French-Thai map can determine based on the previous watershed line. Every map has its own scale on earth. Thus, every demarcation must base on the previous watershed line in the map.

6. The map made by the France that controlled Cambodia is considered as biased and unfair. With this, Thailand must reject it.

Answer: There is no fair or unfair during the colony. Every country lost its territory. For example, Cambodia lost Kampuchea Krom to Vietnam, China lost its land to Russia, India lost its land to China. India lost its land to Pakistan. Some Japanese islands controlled by United States. Korean lost its island to Japan.
If seeing back 1000 years ago (before 13th A.D.), Cambodia lost a large chunk of territory, which is the whole Thailand in the present. If Thailand can ask and get the surrounding area of Preah Vihear, I dare to agree to lose Preah Vihear, but please give me back all provinces that Cambodia lost to you. So it's fair together. Sic!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great!!

Anonymous said...

Bravo,
Nice post.