27/06/2011
Bangkok Post
A government source said last night Thailand now would not be able to apply to host next year’s WHC meeting.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has defended the decision to withdraw Thailand from Unesco’s World Heritage Convention, saying its approval of Cambodia’s management plan for Preah Vihear temple would put the country at a disadvantage.
At a press conference yesterday, Mr Abhisit said a draft agreement on the management plan proposed by the convention, which sets the criteria for Unesco’s list of the world’s most important cultural and natural assets, contained some wording from the Cambodian version of the draft.
He said some sensitive words – “restoration” and “repair” – from the Phnom Penh version of the draft had been interpolated into the draft. Such wording could put Thailand at risk of losing territory, he said, because they could be interpreted as apportioning blame for damage to the temple.
Thailand has found the draft unacceptable, prompting it to withdraw from the WHC, Mr Abhisit said.
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