Better late than never

Cambodia's Hindu Khmer kings decided to construct a new Hindu temple complex atop a 525-metre (1,722 ft) cliff known today as 'Pey Tadi,' in the Dângrêk Mountains, located in the present Preah Vihear province of Cambodia somewhere between 9^th and 11^th centuries. Most of the temple was constructed during the reigns of the Khmer kings Suryavarman I (1002–1050) and Suryavarman II (1113–1150). After the great Khmer empire of Cambodia began its slow decline, a new empire known as the Ayutthaya Kingdom, began to rise in the west or in what is called today as state of Thailand. Temple of Prasat Preah Vihear, being much to the northeast of the later capital of Khmers at Siem Reap also naturally fell to the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

In the Nineteenth century, after having established their control over Cambodia, the French forced a treaty on Kingdom of Siam (Thailand) known as the Franco-Siamese treaty of 1867. According to this treaty, Siam was forced to renounce suzerainty over Cambodia, with the exception of Battambang, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey and Oddar Meancheay provinces, which were then officially incorporated into the Kingdom of Siam. However, during the 1904 state visit of King Rama V of Siam to France, Siam agreed to cede the four provinces to France in exchange for regaining Thai sovereignty over Trat Province and Amphoe Dan Sai of Loei Province, which had been occupied by France.

In 1904, French and Siam had agreed to mark the border between Cambodia and Siam that would follow the natural watershed between the two countries. In 1907 the Thai-Cambodian border was actually mapped by the French as per this agreement. However, the final map showed Prasat Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodian side, though this deviated the 1904 agreement. Surprisingly, Siam accepted this map, probably due to oversight and only realised the error much later in 1930 and this is where the border row began.

The dispute was taken subsequently to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, Which in 1962 awarded ownership of Prasat Preah Vihear Temple to Cambodia by a 9 to 3 vote, based on the 1907 map (correctly drawn or not.) mentioned above. However, the court ruled that only the temple belonged to Cambodia, and did not comment about the adjacent land to the north of the temple. The exact words that were used in this court order say: “Thai forces were obliged to withdraw from the temple or in its vicinity on Cambodian territory."

This court ruling brought up a new border dispute as Cambodia and Thailand interpreted the word 'vicinity' in different manners. Meanwhile in 2008, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) put the temple, on its world heritage list in 2008 saying "an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture, in terms of plan, decoration and relationship to the spectacular landscape environment". This gave a new dimension to the already simmering dispute.

Cambodia claimed that it was given 4.6 Km around the temple by 1962 judgment and again went back to the International Court of Justice in 2011, following several clashes between its army and Thai forces, to ask exactly what judges meant by "vicinity" in 1962.

After a wait of two years, International Court of Justice gave its verdict on 11th November 2013 to clarify what it meant by vicinity. Court did not give any new maps with the judgment, but said that the rocky plateau on which temple stands is bordered by steep slopes on most sides and by a border line drawn up in 1907 by a commission of French officials to the north. It gave an area of 1 sq. Km, which it considered as the area in the vicinity of temple to Cambodia, leaving rest of the plateau to Thailand. It asked the two countries to work out the border amongst themselves.

India has always taken keen interest in the matters concerning Preah Vihear temple just like other Cambodian temples in Siam Reap. India took up and started restoration work on famous Ta Prohm complex in 2006 with a project cost of Rs. 170 million. Years ago Cambodia had requested India to intervene in the Preah Vihear dispute and take over restoration work of this temple. However India had stayed away, reluctant to annoy Thailand.

Unhappy with India's reluctance, Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, met Chinese officials in the field of historic preservation, when he visited that country in December 2013. Earlier this year, the World Heritage Committee under UNESCO decided to set up the international coordination committee that would manage the temple of Preah Vihear. In July 2014 China announced that it was ready to take the lead in restoration and agreed to chair this coordination committee.

After Chinese entry into the coordination committee, India decided to shed its traditional hesitation for the first time and with deft diplomacy, negotiated for itself a co-chair's role in the body. India and China will now team up to coordinate the management of a famous Shiva temple of Preah Vihear situated on the border of Thailand and Cambodia.

28^th November 2014