Call for temple plan delay gains ground [ Unesco likely to back Thai stance, says PM ]

Thailand is making progress in its case that Cambodia's management plan for Preah Vihear temple be delayed, says the caretaker prime minister.

 Abhisit Vejjajiva says Cambodia opposes Thailand's request for the World Heritage Committee to postpone its consideration of the management plan for areas surrounding the World Heritage-listed temple.

But Mr Abhisit said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), which supervises the WHC, is likely to back the Thai stance.

Giving an update on the first round of talks between Thai and Cambodian delegations at a special meeting organised by Unesco in Paris on Wednesday, Mr Abhisit said considering the conflicting opinions between Cambodia and Unesco, it would be a good idea to postpone consideration of the plan.

He said Cambodia understands that the issue could worsen bilateral tension.

Unesco should consider the issue carefully when the time comes, he said.

The management plan was conservation-oriented, but had set off tensions between the two sides.

Before Preah Vihear temple was listed as a World Heritage site, Thailand and Cambodia had never clashed in the area. Both sides co-existed, allowed people to visit the temple and collected entry fees.

Mr Abhisit said problems arose after the listing. He urged Unesco to reconsider the issue, saying the organisation had been founded to promote peace.

Asked if Thailand has a solution to the conflict, such as joint management of Preah Vihear's surrounding areas, Mr Abhisit said Thailand and Cambodia can negotiate some possibilities.

For now, however, Cambodia's management plan should be postponed.

If both sides were unable to reach an agreement, they would have to wait for a resolution from the WHC which will meet next month, he said.

He denied that Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, who heads the Thai delegation, had signed an agreement to back Cambodia's proposal as claimed by Phnom Penh.

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, said in Paris that the first round of talks made no progress as both countries insisted on their original positions.

The countries returned to the negotiating table yesterday to see whether they could resolve the problem but the result of the second round of talks had not been released at the time the Bangkok Post went to press.

A source said Cambodia still wanted to bring the issue before the WHC annual meeting next month and he did not believe the second round of talks was likely to yield any result. The source said Unesco had agreed with Thailand to delay consideration of Cambodia's management plan to help ease conflicts while at the same time agreeing with Cambodia's restoration plan for the Preah Vihear temple. Unesco said the issue will have to be discussed further.