Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BANGKOK1487
2009-06-19 10:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bangkok
Cable title:  

THAI MFA DEMARCHE ON UNESCO/AMCIT VISIT TO PREAH

Tags:  PREL KCUL TH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3891
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHBK #1487 1701042
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191042Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7319
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 7193
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 9771
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 5579
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1703
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0010
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CJCS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS BANGKOK 001487 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCUL TH
SUBJECT: THAI MFA DEMARCHE ON UNESCO/AMCIT VISIT TO PREAH
VIHEAR TEMPLE IN APRIL, VIEWS ON WHC LISTING

REF: A. BANGKOK 1275

B. PHNOM PENH 406

UNCLAS BANGKOK 001487

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCUL TH
SUBJECT: THAI MFA DEMARCHE ON UNESCO/AMCIT VISIT TO PREAH
VIHEAR TEMPLE IN APRIL, VIEWS ON WHC LISTING

REF: A. BANGKOK 1275

B. PHNOM PENH 406


1. (SBU) Summary: MFA's American Affairs Acting Director
General Apirath Vienravi called in then Charge June 18 for to
express grave concern over a team of UNESCO representatives,
including an Amcit, which crossed through Thai territory
without permission or visas in April, en route to the Preah
Vihear Temple in Cambodia. Separately, the Thai Cabinet June
16 reaffirmed the Thai position heading into the upcoming
UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) meetingthat the current
unilateral listing of Preah Vihear should be scrapped in
favor a joint listing by Cambodia and Thailand, in
recognition of the location on the border and the shared
cultural heritage, ensuring the project promotes
understanding rather than fosters conflict. End Summary.

Protesting Amcit on UNESCO visit
--------------


2. (SBU) MFA's Apirath delivered a formal complaint that in
April a UNESCO delegation
traversed Thai territory without a visa--a "grave violation
of Thai sovereignty." Apirath said that the delegation had
told the Thai they would travel to the temple by helicopter,
but instead went overland through potentiallydangerous
territory. Included in that group reportedly was U.S. citizen
Richard Sussman. Apirath asked the USG to confirm
if Sussman were indeed a U.S. citizen and noted the Thai
concern that the delegation,s action put Sussman and
theothers at risk for their safety. The RTG has expressed
concern over the visit with UNESCO Headquarters in Paris as
well as
the local UNESCO office in Bangkok and with the embassies of
other countries whose citizens were part of the delegation.

Looking ahead to WHC meeting and Preah Vihear listing
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) The listing of Preah Vihear as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site did not come up during Thai PM Abhisit,s
recent June 12 visit/meeting with Hun Sen in Phnom Penh,
according to Thai sources. Nevertheless, the issue remains
unresolved (see ref B for Cambodian perspectives; ref A
provided Thai views of the overall border situation as of
late May). For its part, the Thai Cabinet on June 16
reaffirmed its opposition to the 2008 Cambodian-only listing
of Preah Vihear in advance of the upcoming WHC meeting in
Spain and assigned Natural Resources and Environment Minister
Suwit Khunkitti to represent Thailand at the WHC session.


4. (SBU) The MFA's lead Cambodia officer Mongkol Visitstump
told us June 18 that RTG also maintains that the registration
of Preah Vihear remains incomplete because Cambodia has not
yet fulfilled the conditions required by the 2008 WHC
decision in Quebec. In particular, there should be the
establishment and convening of an International Coordinating
Committee (ICC) with Thailand's participation, as well as the
provision of relevant information and documents including
detailed maps and the buffer zone of the inscribed property.
Neither has happened, Mongkol noted.


5. (SBU) PM Abhisit told reporters after this week,s Cabinet
meeting that Thailand favored a joint listing of the site,
peace in the surrounding area, and benefits to both sides,
suggesting the current single country registration compounds
a sense of conflict rather than promotes joint cultural
conservation and tourism. Culture Minister Teera Slekpetch
told reporters separately that the cabinet decision was in
line with the May 20 Thai World Heritage Committee decision
to oppose the listing. Teera indicated that Thailand would
nominate several candidates for vacant slots on the WHC,
including Pisit Charoenwongsa, director of the Organization
of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education, and Sawitree
Wuwansathit, former deputy permsec of the Education Ministry.
JOHN