Thailand and Cambodia to tackle temple dispute in Paris

Apr 25, 2008, 2:57 GMT

Bangkok - Thai and Cambodian officials will meet in Paris next week to tackle their ongoing dispute over the registration of Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site, media reports said Friday.

Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama has confirmed that he will head a delegation to discuss the contentious bilateral issue with Cambodia on May 2-3 at the invitation of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said the Bangkok Post newspaper.

UNESCO reportedly wants both sides to discuss Cambodia's proposal to register Preah Vihear, an ancient Hindu temple that straddles the Thai-Cambodian border, as a heritage site.

Thailand blocked the Cambodian proposal last year on the grounds that there is an ongoing territorial dispute about parts of the temple compound that were to be included in the World Heritage Site.

Ownership of Preah Vihear has been a contentious issue between Thailand and Cambodia for decades.

The dispute was taken to the International Court of Justice, which ruled on June 15, 1962, that the temple belonged to Cambodia.

Although the temple, perched on a cliff overlooking Cambodia, is now under the management of the Cambodian government, the easiest access to the site for tourists is via Thailand.

It is hoped that the demarcation disagreement will be settled before the next World Heritage committee meeting from July 4 to 12 in Canada.