Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site Preah Vihear Temple

on july 8, 2008, world heritage committee decided add prasat preah vihear, along 26 other sites, world heritage site list, despite several protests thailand, since map implied cambodian ownership of disputed land next temple.

as process of heritage-listing began, cambodia announced intention apply world heritage inscription unesco. thailand protested should joint-effort , unesco deferred debate @ 2007 meeting.

following this, both cambodia , thailand in full agreement preah vihear temple had outstanding universal value , should inscribed on world heritage list possible. 2 nations agreed cambodia should propose site formal inscription on world heritage list @ 32nd session of world heritage committee in 2008 active support of thailand. led redrawing of map of area proposed inscription, leaving temple , immediate environs.

however, thailand s political opposition launched attack on revised plan (see modern history , ownership dispute), claiming inclusion of preah vihear nevertheless consume overlapping disputed area near temple. in response political pressure @ home, thai government withdrew formal support listing of preah vihear temple world heritage site.

cambodia continued application world heritage status and, despite official thai protests, on july 7, 2008, preah vihear temple inscribed on list of world heritage sites.

the renewed national boundary dispute since 2008 has been reminder despite world heritage ideals of conservation humanity, operating world heritage site requires use of national authority @ odds local cultures , natural diversity of landscape. prior listing, cambodia considered preah vihear part of protected landscape (iucn category v), defined nationally significant natural , semi-natural landscapes must maintained provide opportunities recreation. however, category v defined land, coast , seas appropriate, interaction of people , nature on time has produced area of distinct character significant aesthetic, cultural and/or ecological value, , high biological diversity. safeguarding integrity of traditional interaction vital protection, maintenance , evolution of such area.

a luxury tour takes travellers camping on temple sites, crossing border thailand issues warning travellers on possibility of re-routing of itinerary.

during people s alliance democracy s seizure of suvarnabhumi airport, future thai foreign minister kasit piromya reportedly called cambodian prime minister in 2008 television interview crazy , nak leng (commonly translated gangster ).

temple structures in 2003

in 1994, thailand held world heritage proposal conference in srisaket in local cultural traditions considered along monuments such preah vihear stimulate more nationalistic sentiments. use of passes in dongrak mountains reportedly tied cultural communities , practices divided militarized (and imperfectly demarcated) modern border line. mon-khmer ethnic minority, kui or suay (the ethnonyms have multiple spellings), used passes hunt , capture elephants in forests below dongrak cliff edge, including kulen area cambodian wildlife sanctuary. kui in cambodia skilled ironsmiths using ore phnom dek.

while elephant hunting in vicinity of preah vihear touched upon in international court of justice proceedings, world heritage plans overlook local culture , species protection facilitate national revenues tourism. 1 international law professor has urged practicality calls laying aside exclusive sovereignty in favor of international peace park. scholarly article concurs in concluding: since thailand , cambodia have brought blood , bitterness place, might desirable preserve both. given nature , indigenous peoples, managed cooperatively between 2 governments in equal partnership local communities, transborder protected landscape-anthropological reserve (iucn category v , old category vii). given massing troops in 2008, perhaps such transborder reserve create not demilitarized buffer zone in future demarcation can amicably undertaken, recognition of added ecological , cultural aspects of area both cambodia , thailand may still save destructive , exploitative impacts of rapid development suffered in other asean countries.