Published: 22 Apr 2013 at 00.00
Cambodia is expected to table the plan for consideration at the 37th WHC meeting, to be held on June 16-27 in Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh might place the Preah Vihear management plan at the top of the WHC agenda and lobby other parties to endorse the plan, threatening Thai territorial sovereignty, the Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said Sunday.
The WHC approved Cambodia's proposal to inscribe Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site in July 2008.
The Democrat Party and several academics have expressed concerns the development plan might include the disputed 4.6 sq km area of land surrounding the temple.
Mr Chavanond lauded the Thai legal team's performance at the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) oral hearing last week on Cambodia's request for a reinterpretation of the ICJ's 1962 verdict.
He praised Thai envoy Virachai Plasai and the four foreign lawyers for their strong defence against Cambodia's claims of ownership of the temple's surrounding area.
However, Mr Chavanond warned Thailand was still at risk of losing sovereignty of this area if the Pheu Thai-led government failed to oppose Cambodia's temple management plan.
Mr Chavanond said he believed that seeking the WHC's endorsement of the management plan was Cambodia's "Plan B" in convincing the ICJ that it owns the area surrounding Preah Vihear.
"Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has to make Thailand's position clear that we object to Cambodia's management plan for the vicinity of Preah Vihear," Mr Chavanond said.
The Thai World Heritage Information Centre, chaired by Natural Resources and Environment Ministry permanent-secretary Chote Trachoo, recently vowed to object to Cambodia's management plan at the June meeting.
Mr Chote also threatened to walk out of the meeting if Phnom Penh insists on discussing the plan.
The legal team will meet Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Government House today to discuss the case.
Link: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/346366/temple-land-fight-shifts-to-whc
