Bangkok (Thailand): Thailand on Tuesday withdrew its
support for a Cambodian proposal to list Preah Vihear temple as a World
Heritage site at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Cabinet decided to backtrack
on support for the controversial temple's listing to obey an
Administrative Court order made over the weekend, Deputy Prime Somchai
Wongsavat said.

It is unclear whether the government change in
stance on the listing will derail Cambodia's proposal to list the
centuries-old Hindu temple at UNESCO's upcoming meeting in Geneva on
July 2-10.

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, who is
currently visiting China, called his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen to
personally inform him of the cabinet decision and to urge him to
guarantee the personal safety of Thai nationals living in Cambodia,
said the Thai News Agency (TNA).

Preah Vihear, a stunning
cliff-top temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, has long been a
source of diplomatic spats between the two neighbouring countries.

The temple is perched on a mountain range that defines the Thai-Cambodian border.

Cambodia
was awarded Preah Vihear by a World Court ruling in 1962, but when
Phnom Penh attempted to list the temple as a UNESCO heritage site last
year, Thailand objected on the grounds that the inscription map
included land that was still subject to a border dispute.

Cambodia
in May rewrote the inscription map to exclude a 4.6 square kilometres
of disputed land, winning Thai government approval for the proposal on
June 10.

The approval was poorly timed, coinciding with street
protests and a censure debate against the Thai government. Participants
in the street protests and the censure debate used the Preah Vihear
issue to accuse the cabinet of 'selling off' the nation, and furthering
the business interests of certain Thai politicians seeking deals in
Cambodia.

The Administrative Court issued an injunction on
Saturday demanding the the government end its support of the Cambodian
proposal. On Tuesday, the Cabinet obeyed the order.

Source: www.monstersandcritics.com