Ex-PM 'supported Cambodia'

Published: 10 Nov 2013 at 00.00 Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul on Saturday accused the former Surayud Chulanont government of supporting Cambodia's registration of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage...

TENSION MOUNTS: Extra security has been deployed to guard the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok ahead of tomorrow’s ruling on the Preah Vihear case.

Speaking in Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's weekly broadcast address, Mr Surapong said he had evidence that Gen Surayud had expressed his support as prime minister in 2007 for Cambodia's move to register the temple and its surrounding area with Unesco as a World Heritage site.


According to him, the Surayud administration stated in a "highly confidential" document in July 2007 that the World Heritage Committee had a consensus to list Preah Vihear and its surroundings, while Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to jointly draw up a development and preservation plan for the area.
It also allegedly stated that Thailand congratulated Cambodia and its people on the heritage listing and Thailand looked forward to jointly preserving and managing the Preah Vihear area.
Mr Surapong said when the Samak Sundaravej administration took office in 2008, the government sent a letter to Cambodia to protest against the listing, asking that only the temple be deemed a heritage site, and not the surrounding land.
Most Thai people were unaware of these documents and had accused Samak and then-foreign minister Noppadon Pattama of supporting Cambodia's push to list the temple, he added.
"What I'm most concerned about now is the ultra-patriotic movement which does not consider the facts," Mr Surapong said.
"This is similar to what happened during the Samak administration, when there were clashes between the armed forces of the two countries, resulting in many deaths and injuries.
"Preah Vihear has been a major issue for many governments, so I think all governments involved must share responsibilities as both the administrators of the country and the people's representatives."
Foreign Ministry sources explained that the Samak government protested against Cambodia's heritage listing push because its application contained the 1:200,000-scale map of the disputed area, which Thailand opposed.
Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut admitted the document Mr Surapong was talking about was real, but said this was hardly a new development as he himself had already seen it a long time ago.
Mr Surapong simply wanted to divert public attention away from the fact that it was Mr Noppadon who signed a joint communique with Cambodia and supported Phnom Penh's unilateral request for the World Heritage listing, Mr Chavanond said.
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