[Tlc] TC-border politics

[justinm at ucr.edu]

FYI.
Thanks,
justin


http://www.bangkokpost.net/topstories/topstories.php?id=128466
 
'Tone down nationalism'
By Anucha Charoenpo

Academics yesterday urged the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to stop politicising the Preah Vihear temple issue, effectively backing the government stand on the issue.

They said it has provoked nationalism that may sour relations between Thailand and Cambodia.

Suthachai Yimprasert, an historian from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Arts, warned of nasty consequences from the PAD attacking the People Power party-led government over the issue.

"The Preah Vihear issue isn't related to local politics. Don't try to politicise it and stir up public hatred of the government. That's not right," said the historian, who added that nationalism is hard to control and dangerous.

Mr Suthachai said the PAD's core leaders realised the Preah Vihear issue gave momentum to the rallies which started on May 25.

But politicising the issue also put the relationship between Thailand and Cambodia in jeopardy, he added.

The PAD's core leaders have challenged the decision of the Samak Sundaravej government to endorse Cambodia's bid to register the Hindu temple as a World Heritage site. They are suspicious that the move would benefit former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is planning a huge investment deal with the Cambodian government.

The PAD leaders claim that endorsing the Cambodian bid to have the temple listed would destroy any chance Thailand had of reclaiming the temple ruins from Cambodia in the future.

However, Mr Suthachai said he has closely monitored the issue and found "nothing irregular" with Thailand's decision to back Cambodia as it is the real owner of the temple following the International Court of Justice's ruling in 1962.

He did not think Thailand would lose any territory, especially in the 4.6 square kilometres of overlapping land, adding that the Survey Department and the army did not object to the new map, an indication that no territory was lost



______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
3046 INTN
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu