By Bernama,
Bangkok : Thailand’s Constitution Court ruled Tuesday that Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama violated the Constitution by signing a joint communique with Cambodia concerning Preah Vihear temple without parliamentary endorsement.
A nine-judge panel voted 8-1 to rule that the Thai-Cambodian Joint Communique regarding Preah Vihear is regarded as an international treaty under the charter’s Article 190 and needed parliamentary endorsement prior to any signing.
Article 190 stipulates that any treaties which affect the social and economic benefits of Thailand as well as the integrity of Thai borders to be subject to parliamentary scrutiny before their signing.
The court’s decision came after the World Heritage Committee approved Cambodia’s application to list the 11th century temple as a World Heritage site.
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) ‘s World Heritage Committee meeting in Quebec on Monday conferred the coveted status of being registered as one of humankind’s most valued historical sites to Cambodia’s historic Khmer-built Preah Vihear temple.
Quoting Thailand’s national World Heritage Committee chairman Pongpol Adireksan, on hand in Canada as an observer, the Thailand news agency (TNA) reported that the temple listing would not affect on the border demarcation between Thailand and Cambodia.
Thai Foreign Minister signed the joint communique with Cambodia on June 18, noting that Thailand endorsed Cambodia’s bid to nominate the temple as a world heritage site.
Thai domestic politics intervened, when both the opposition Democrat party and the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) expressed outrage at the Samak government and Foreign Minister Noppadon for endorsing Cambodia’s attempt to have the temple listed as a World Heritage site, fearing that it would have effect on border demarcation in the disputed Preah Vihear surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, another news agency reported that the cities of the Straits of Malacca, and George Town in Malaysia, and the Kuk Early Agricultural Site in Papua New Guinea, were also added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List on Monday.