SEAArch – The Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog

IS PM Abhisit trying to pull a fast one? He announces that a delay in the official registration of the Preah Vihear temple will give Cambodia and Thailand time to resolve their conflict. Conveniently, the Unesco committee says that the formal registration of the site is to be pushed to next February because it has yet to finish matters at its end. But it sounds like Thailand is implicitly claiming that they have somehow caused the delay to happen – a move probably designed to placate the feelings that have run high over the matter and save face for not having their protest heard in Seville last week. Of course, I could just be reading too much into this short piece of news.

Thai PM says delayed Preah Vihear temple World Heritage Site registration could solve problems
MCOT, 30 June 2009
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Thailand announces ongoing fact-finding programmes to propose five new sites into Unesco’s World Heritage Site list by next year. Among the sites are the ancient cities of Chiang Saen and Suvannakhomkham, which shares Laotian territory; the Lanna kingdom in the north, as well as the Srivijaya-Nakhon Si Tammarat cultural route.

photo credit: The Wandering Angel

Ministry to seek heritage status for ancient cities
The Nation, 4 June 2009
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Cambodian officials at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Seville, Spain announced that the meeting refused to consider Thailand’s protest on the listing of Preah Vihear and has continued with its scheduled agenda. There hasn’t been any report of this in the Thai media (not surprising, if this were true), and border tensions are high once again.

photo credit: Metro Centric

Thai claim on temple dismissed
Phnom Penh Post, 25 June 2009

Cambodian PM warns Thailand in border temple row
AFP, via Channel NewsAsia, 26 June 2009

Thailand, Cambodia spar again over disputed border
AP, via Yahoo, 26 June 2009

Preah Vihear: little love lost among the ruins
Bangkok Post, 26 June 2009

Sabre rattling at Preah Vihear
Bangkok Post, 25 June 2009

Opposition and civil society appeal to the govt not to negotiate with Thailand on Preah Vihear issue
Radio Free Asia, via KI-Media, 24 June 2009
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Vietnam Net Bridge has a travel feature on the magnificent My Son Sanctuary in Da Nang Province. The My Son temple complex was the most significant sacred sites of the Cham from the 4th to 15th centuries.

My Son Sanctuary
Vietnam Net Bridge, 23 May 2009
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A recent visit by Unesco officials to Preah Vihear prompted a curt notice by Thailand that Unesco must ask for permission from Thailand before any visits to disputed areas. However, the Unesco delegation said that they steered clear of any disputed areas and only toured the Cambodian side. It sounds like Thailand is touchy over the (unresolved) territory issue at Preah Vihear, and it also goes to show how much injured pride is at the heart of this border dispute.

Thailand to UNESCO: Ask before entering disputed border zone
MCOT News, 21 May 2009
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The state government of Malacca has announced plans for a second ship-shaped museum themed around the 15th century Malacca sultanate period and associated maritime activities. It looks like the state is trying to capitalise on its new World Heritage Site status, although I hope that this new museum will be better planned than the current ship museum.

Second ’ship’ museum for Malacca
New Straits Times, 12 May 2009
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A diplomatic note sent from Cambodia is billing Thailand $2 million for damages suffered during the most recent firefight at the Preah Vihear temple in early April. Rockets allegedly fired from the Thai troops destroyed a Cambodian market next to the controversial World Heritage Site.

Cambodia tells Thailand to compensate for damage in border disputes
AFP, via Channel NewsAsia, 12 May 2009

Absurd demand prolongs border dispute
The Nation, 13 May 2009
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