The Watch Cambodia Site: July 2008

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Asian sites added to Heritage List

A HINDU temple in Cambodia, historic Malaysian towns and an agricultural site from Papua New Guinea were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List today.

On July 7, 2008, Preah Vihear was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Prasat Preah Vihear (Khmer regular script: ), is a Khmer (Cambodian) Hindu temple situated atop a 525-meter cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains in the Preah Vihear Province of Cambodia and on the border of Sisaket Province in northeastern Thailand. In 1962, following a serious dispute between Thailand and Cambodia over ownership of the temple, the International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled that it belonged to Cambodia. The adjacent land to the north is under Thailand's control. Affording a view for many kilometers across a plain, Prasat Preah Vihear has the most spectacular setting of all the temples built during the six-century-long Khmer Empire. As a key edifice of the empire's spiritual life, it was supported and modified by successive kings and so bears elements of several architectural styles. Preah Vihear is unusual among Khmer temples in being constructed along a long north-south axis, rather than having the conventional rectangular plan with orientation toward the east. The temple gives its name to Cambodia's Preah Vihear province, in which is is located, as well as the Khao Phra Wihan National Park in Sisaket Province, Thailand, through which the temple is most easily accessible. On July 7, 2008, Preah Vihear was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prasat_Preah_Vihear

Cambodians are dancing to celebrate the listing of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage Site

Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/

While Thai demonstrators are protesting in Thailand in front of the Preah Vihear temple to oppose the listing of Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site, on the Cambodian side, a report indicated that Cambodians are dancing in joy after they learned the good news about Preah Vihear temple. The Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper reported that Cambodian civilians and officials are gathering in solidarity not to curse the Thai protesters, but to dance in joy on the steps leading to Preah Vihear temple, and this dancing activities had been going on for several nights already, ever since they started to hear the good news from the UNESCO meeting in Quebec city. The Cambodian Council of Ministers indicated that to alleviate the hardships of Cambodian officials based in Preah Vihear temple, the council sent packaged noodles, sardines, fish sauce, MSG, cigarettes, raincoats, and several tents to them because of the constant rains in that area. Cambodian villagers in Preah Vihear also received large quantities of food donations from generous donors from Phnom Penh and other provinces after the border gate was closed in the past several days (preventing them to cross into Thailand to buy food).