The dispute over the Preah Vihear temple area remains a flashpoint in relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, Thailand and Cambodia.
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| The dispute over the Preah Vihear temple between Cambodia and Thailand dates back to the 19th century. (Source: Getty Images) |
On December 16, Thai Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang said that seven Pheu Thai Party (For Thai) lawmakers from Si Sa Ket province (Northeast Thailand) submitted a petition to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, asking him to seek negotiations with the Cambodian government about visiting the Preah Vihear temple on the Thai border.
The proposal was made during Mr. Klungsang’s trip to Pha Mor E Daeng in Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province, where the fence around the Preah Vihear temple has been locked on the Thai side since 2008. The temple is currently closed to all visitors due to border conflicts and the Covid-19 pandemic. Previously, Cambodia had allowed Thais to access the temple on a visa-free day.
Developing more tourism would help stimulate economic activity at the border, in line with government policy, Mr. Sutin said, expressing hope that the good relationship that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen could help pave the way for possible negotiations on the issue.
Major General Nut Sri-In, Commander of Thailand's Suranaree Special Task Force, said opening the border would not affect national security and a decision needed to be made from Phnom Penh on the matter.
Previously, on November 24, the Si Sa Ket provincial government had a meeting with the Office of the National Security Council on temporarily opening a section of the border. The results will be presented to the Government later.
Disputes over the Preah Vihear temple area have been going on since the late 19th century. Many conflicts over the 10th-century temple intensified after Cambodia registered it as a World Heritage Site with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2008.
As the registration was not supported by the Thai Government at the time, tensions flared up again, from a dispute between the two governments at a UNESCO meeting in Quebec, Canada, to border conflicts.
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