Monday, 23 June 2008

Samak blames 'lawyer' in Democrat for the loss Preah Vihear 45 years ago

By The Nation
Sun, June 22, 2008

Prime Minster Samak Sundaravej Sunday denounced protests over Preah Vihear registration as a world heritage site as "unreasonable', saying Thailand lost the ancient Hindu temple 45 years ago.

Without mentioning name, Samak blamed a former Democrat Party leader for the loss of Preah Vihear, saying a 'lawyer' from the Democrat Party made a mistake in a battle in the World Court 45 years ago by accepting a French map during the court battle over the ownership of the Hindu temple.

Speaking during his Talk Samak Style on NBT Channel, Samak said the People's Alliance for Democracy played up the Preah Vihear issue unreasonably and out of proportion to mislead the public to think that Thailand will now lost its territory because of the world heritage registration.

"[Democrats] should ask their aged senior in the party what happened," Samak said.

"Our lawyer agreed to accept their map so the World Court ruled that we lost the Preah Vihear.
On Saturday, the People Power Party said a former Democrat leader, who represented Thailand as the lawyer lost the court case, causing Thailand to lose Preah Vihear to Cambodia.

Samak said Thailand lost the Hindu temple to Cambodia by the ruling of World Court 45 years ago.

He said Cambodia has been hoisting flag over Preah Vihear for 45 years with nobody opposing it but the PAD just campaigned about it now.

He said Cambodia was now registering its Preah Vihear over its land as a world heritage site and had nothing to do with Thailand.

"But I don't know what on earth [the PAD] is campaigning about regarding to Preah Vihear. We have not lost any land because of the registration of the world heritage site because we lost the temple 45 years ago," Samak said.

"They are handling the affair of their own country," Samak added.

He said the Thai military had affirmed that the registration of Preah Vihear as a world heritage site would not affect Thailand's territory but nobody listened.

He said the PAD managed to play up the issue so much that "a woman who makes her living by making expensive clothes announced that she would give up her life for the issue".

Samak said the PAD also linked the issue to the golf playing between Cambodian Prime Minister Hunsen with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra although the issues were not related.

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