Wednesday April 30, 2008
A way out of the impasse
Anyone who has been to Preah Vihear, or Khao Phra Viharn in Thai, can
attest to the breath-taking beauty of the ancient Khmer ruins atop the
Dongrek Range on the Thai-Cambodian border. They might also feel the
tension that seems to envelop the surroundings _ a result of the
bitter wrangle over owner****p of the 11th century temple. Thailand and
Cambodia should realise that visitors to this sanctuary appreciate the
first aspect, not the latter. And if they want ever more travellers
from all over the world to appreciate this architectural wonder of
Southeast Asia, the authorities have no choice but to strike a deal.
This means they must stop quibbling and start searching seriously for
a way to manage the sanctuary together.
This option of joint management should have been clear from the start,
considering the location of the sanctuary atop a hill that sits right
on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, with the more convenient
access located on the Thai side. Still, what should have been an issue
for amicable discussion became a problem to solve, when Cambodia
unilaterally requested the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to register the temple as a World
Heritage Site last year. Thailand is opposed to the proposal, as such
a listing would include not just management of the temple site but the
outer areas that serve as a buffer zone, which lie in disputed
territory and which have still to be cleared of mines laid by the
Khmer Rouge.
Cambodia has been pursuing the World Heritage status by itself and it
is expected that its application will be accepted this year. Without a
resolution on the territorial conflict, however, it looks like the new
status will bring more problems and feelings of animosity to the
ancient stone ruins. This would be a pity and defeat the whole purpose
of having it recognised as a heritage of the world.
The only thing that is clear in this otherwise very complicated tussle
over Preah Vihear is the ruling by the International Court of Justice
that the sanctuary itself is under Cambodian sovereignty. This
judgement has left some room for argument about the surrounding area,
where demarcation between the two countries has not been settled. In
fact, the entire 195km border in the Preah Vihear area remains in
dispute. The optimistic estimate is that it will take slightly more
than 10 years to settle the border issue. The pessimistic forecast
predicts it will take forever, as the Thai and Cambodian authorities
hold two different maps when they come to the negotiating table.
Considering the cir***stances, it seems likely the pessimistic view
will prevail. For that reason, both countries might as well leave the
territorial dispute aside and take the time to work on a solution
regarding the temple itself. In this light, it would be in their best
interests _ and for Preah Vihear to receive the smooth, sustainable
conservation and management it deserves _ to get the World Heritage
status, while agreeing on some form of joint management of the
overlapping areas. Neither country need concede any land area or agree
on the demarcation line at this point. They only need to agree that
since they cannot yet find a solution, they will therefore manage it
together, with clear guidelines over which country would be
responsible for which aspect of the management. Though the long-
standing territorial dispute might not be solved, at the very least
the long-overdue preservation and management of the much-admired ruins
will be able to proceed.
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