The Nation:
From the legal standpoint, Thailand has reserved the right not to agree with the Court’s ruling. But as a member of the United Nations, it has agreed to move its troops from Preah Vihear. The Court only ruled that Preah Vihear is under Cambodian sovereignty.
…
The Cambodian government has filed an application with Unesco for the Preah Vihear temple complex to be listed as a World Heritage site. The political controversy in Thailand is why the Samak government has rushed to endorse Cambodia’s sole application for the temple to become a Unesco-listed site.
BP: The Surayud government agreed in 2007 to support Cambodia’s 2008 bid.
The Nation continues:
This matter should have been handled with more diplomacy, through a joint application from both governments. Otherwise, this signals to the whole world that Thailand has accepted that the Preah Vihear Temple belongs to Cambodia when past Thai governments held reservations on the International Court of Justice’s ruling, which is not considered final from the Thai stance. Moreover, the Samak government has agreed to endorse Cambodia’s sole application for Preah Vihear to become a World Heritage site by setting aside the long-standing territorial dispute and proposed buffer zone on the north and west of the temple.
BP: Joint application how? The Thanom government and the Surayud government agreed that Cambodia has sovereignty over the Preah Vihear temple.
Cambodia has prepared the 47-page document for Unesco, detailing how the Thai government has been providing “active support” for the temple to be on the World Heritage List. This propaganda material looks, on the surface, very convincing because it chronicles step by step how the present Thai leaders – Samak Sundaravej, the prime minister; Noppadon Pattama, the foreign minister; and Somchai Wongsawat, the deputy prime minister and education minister – went to Phnom Penh to endorse Cambodia’s sole application for the temple to be listed.
BP: Propaganda material? That Cambodia document (PDF) also quotes from the UNESCO report in 2007 which states “Cambodia and Thailand agree that Cambodia will propose the site for formal inscription on the World Heritage List at the 32nd Session of the World Heritage Committee in 2008 with the active support of Thailand”. Funny that The Nation fails to note this. Does The Nation think that Thailand should go back on its word on providing active support for Cambodia’s bid? Given what happened in 2003, what is likely to happen to the Thai Embassy in Cambodia if Thailand opposes Cambodia’s application to UNESCO?
The Nation continues:
Again, we question why the Thai government is so keen to endorse Cambodia’s move on Preah Vihear in the absence of a joint application to Unesco and in the absence of an amicable agreement on the territorial dispute. Most importantly, the endorsement is sending a signal that Thailand will never try to reclaim Preah Vihear. The Samak government has committed a big diplomatic blunder, which is unforgivable.
BP: See above. What is unforgivable is The Nation distorting the facts.