His Excellency Dr. Sok An, who led delegation to attend the 34th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) from July 25 to August 3, said that the representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Brazilian cultural minister also hailed the Cambodian good management plan of the Temple including the achievements made after the listing of Preah Vihear as world heritage site.
The 900-year-old Khmer temple of Preah Vihear was listed by World Heritage Committee in 2008 in Canada, Quebec, as World Heritage Site but was rejected by Thailand’s opposition.
“What Thailand did not accept before, now they did,” he said referring to Thailand's Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti signed on July 30 the decision drafted by the World Heritage Committee, of UNESCO, in the meeting chaired by Brazilian culture minister Joao Luiz Silva Ferreira
“This is a big victory for Cambodia, but a huge loss of Thailand,” said Dr. Sok An, who is also minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers.
World Heritage Committee acknowledged Cambodia submitted reports of the management development plan of Preah Vihear and Thailand now accepted the result of World Heritage Committee made in Spain 2009, he said of the decision.
Dr. Sok An said that World Heritage Committee received the submission of Cambodian development plan of Preah Vihear temple at the World Heritage Centre.
“World Heritage Committee takes note with satisfaction of the progress made in developing a management plan and encouraged the state party (Cambodia) to implement its provision, with contribution of the international community,” H.E. Sok An said of the decision by World Heritage Committee (WHC).
The Committee also welcomed Cambodia to establish an international coordinating committee (ICC) for the sustainable conservation of the Temple, H.E. Sok An said.
“They (UNESCO) did not only accept Cambodian proposal of management plan at Preah Vihear, but they also praised us for good planning,” he said in live broadcast on local TVs.
“WHC did not postpone in its official decision as the Thais claimed but decided to consider the management plan for Preah Vihear sustainable conservation at its next session to be held in Bahrain,” he said.
Dr. Sok An said the World Heritage Committee of UNSECO made decision of supporting reports on the Cambodia of conservation of the temple inscribed on the World Heritage List.
He said that Cambodia explained to UNESCO and the member countries of the World Heritage Committee about Thailand used secret and unilateral map, which never accepted by Phnom Penh.
The UN legal institution of International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1962 ruled out that: the Temple of Preah Vihear is situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia.
The court found that Thailand is under obligation to withdraw any military or police forces, or other guards or keepers, stationed by her at the Temple, or in its vicinity on Cambodian territory.
Thailand is under an obligation to restore to Cambodia any objects of the kind specified in the Cambodia’s fifth submission which may, since the date of the occupation of the Temple by Thailand in 1954, have been removed from the Temple or the Temple area by the Thai authority, said ICJ’s Judgment.
