Letter to Unesco on Preah Vihear

To:
1) Susan Williams, Chief, Media Section: Bureau of Public Info.
Email: s.williams@unesco.org
Tel: 33(0)145 68 17 06

2) Isabelle LE FOURNIS, Press Attache: Bureau of Public Info.
Email: i.le-fournis@unesco.org
Tel: 33(0) 145 68 1748

3) Djibril KEBE, Press Attache:
Bureau of Public Info.
Email: d.kebe@unesco.org
Tele: 33(0) 145 68 1741

Dear Sir/Madams,

I am writing to express my disappointment over Unesco's capitulation to Thai bully over Preah Vihear that lead to the delay of the implementation of the temple's management plans put forward by Cambodia at a meeting in Brazil recently.

Unesco is well aware that Preah Vihear is a Cambodian temple and the temple surrounding areas are Cambodian territories under the 1907 Franco-Siamese Treaty, the 1908 map accepted by the then Thai king and the 1962 judgement of the International Court of Justice. As such Cambodia is well within its right to list the temple as a world heritage site and then to manage the temple as it sees fit. However, Thailand has bullied Unesco to delay the inscription of the temple for at least three times and then now delayed the implementation of the temple's management again.

I am convinced that Unesco is well within its right to approve the temple's listing and the temple's management plans regardless of Thailand's objections by following international laws and the verdict of the International Court of Justice. We Cambodians hope that Unesco would not allow Thailand hold Preah Vihear hostage any longer due to its hegemonic ambitions.

Yours sincerely,

(signed)
Khmerization