UNESCO Approves Emergency Aid For Flood-hit Ayutthaya Park

By Jamaluddin Muhammad
Oct 13, 2011
(Bernama)

BANGKOK -- UNESCO has approved a US$75,000 (RM235,425) emergency assistance to repair the Ayutthaya Historical Park, a World Heritage site damaged by the current critical floods in Thailand.

Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome said her ministry was preparing a letter to engage heritage conservation and restoration experts from Italy to help in the mission.

"I cannot tell when the restoration works will begin but it will be immediately after the return of normalcy," she said.

The Ayutthaya Historical Park, listed as a World Heritage site in 1991, is, characterised by, among others, reliquary towers and gigantic monasteries.

Thailand applied for emergency assistance form the World Heritage Fund when the park has been inundated since last week.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said Thailand would remain a member of the World Heritage Committee although the previous government had announced the country's intention to withdraw from it.

He said Thailand would benefit by retaining its membership in the committee and could ask the committee to wait for a ruling from the International Court of Justice before considering Cambodia's plan to manage the Preah Vihear Temple.

The withdrawal has not been officially made after the previous government announced its intention as the process required written confirmation from the prime minister or foreign minister, he said.

The previous government took the stand in the middle of this year in protest against Cambodia's management plan proposal for the temple.

The 11th century Hindu temple of Preah Vihear is situated in the territory under Cambodian sovereignty, according to a ruling by the International Court of Justice in 1962.

However, both countries claimed sovereignty over an area of 4.6 sq km surrounding the temple which is situated near the Thai-Cambodian border, leading to several clashes between troops from both countries since 2008 until April this year.

The Thai-Cambodian border remained calm after the Pheu Thai party led the current coalition government after defeating the Democrat party in last July's general election.

The Pheu Thai party is backed by Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai premier who was ousted through a bloodless coup in 2006, and was handpicked later by Cambodian leader Hun Sen as the Cambodian economic advisor.

Thaksin has since resigned.

-- BERNAMA