Cambodian’s famed Preah Vihear temple is seen on the Cambodia-Thai border in Cambodia, Preah Vihear…

Cambodian’s famed Preah Vihear temple is seen on the Cambodia-Thai border in Cambodia, Preah Vihear province, about 245 kilometers (152 miles) north of Phnom Penh, on June 21, 2008. Cambodia’s retired king has taken a nationalistic swipe at Thailand in the controversy over a recent world heritage tag for an 11th century temple, which has sparked political tensions in the neighboring country and celebrations at home. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

(AP)

Cambodia’s former king dismissed any Thai claim to an 11th century temple on the border as baseless, weighing in on a dispute that has soured relations between the neighbors and fueled anti-government protests in Thailand.

Preah Vihear temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site this week, reopening a long-standing disagreement between Phnom Penh and Bangkok over which country owns the land that surrounds it.

Former King Norodom Sihanouk said in a handwritten note posted on his Web site Friday that any Thai claims to the temple were "absolutely false."

He accused the Thais of causing "unmerited and anachronistic problems" for Cambodia "rather than concentrating on developing harmonious, friendly and fruitful relations" between the two countries.

Sihanouk said that some Thais are ignoring historic facts that prove that the "mountain and the temple of Preah Vihear are 100 percent Cambodia and belong to Cambodia 100 percent."

In 1962, the International Court of Justice awarded the temple and the land it occupies to Cambodia, a decision that still rankles Thais even though the temple is culturally Cambodian, sharing the Hindu-influenced style of the more famous Angkor Wat in northwestern Cambodia.

"Thanks to Khmer kings and the Khmer Empire — the Angkorian Empire in particular — Thailand is actually very rich in temples and other Khmer monuments in the style of Angkor," the former king said.

Thailand’s Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama resigned Thursday after the Constitutional Court ruled that he had overstepped his authority in supporting Cambodia’s application to have the temple classified as a World Heritage Site. UNESCO added the temple to its list of landmarks on Monday.

Some political opponents have charged that the government of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej deliberately bypassed Parliament and backed the bid in exchange for business concessions from Cambodia for toppled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and other Samak cronies.

Posted 11 hours 47 minutes ago

Thailand’s Government will not appeal a ruling that suspended its endorsement of Cambodia’s bid to see a disputed Hindu temple granted World Heritage status, the foreign minister said.

Despite a long-standing territorial dispute over the 11th century Preah Vihear temple site, the Thai Cabinet voted two weeks ago to support its neighbour’s application at a UNESCO meeting in Canada this week.

But anti-government protesters succeeded in obtaining an injunction last weekend from the Central Administrative Court to annul the joint communique.

"We have resolved to comply with the court’s decision. We will suspend the joint communique and keep Cambodia informed," Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama told reporters after a weekly Cabinet meeting.

"Our prime minister has already told Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that we will send them an official letter," Mr Noppadon said.

The Government will seek further legal advice, Somchai Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister said.

"We will wait for advice from the Council of State, which I expect to seek in next week’s meeting," Mr Somchai said.

Last week Cambodia closed the temple after more than 100 Thais marched to the compound to protest the deal.

Cambodia had planned to present the joint communique as part of its application to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to have the site listed to attract more tourists.

Cambodia last year attempted to have the ancient Hindu temple, perched on a mountaintop on the Thai-Cambodia border, listed by UNESCO. But that effort failed, amid rumours Thailand had blocked the deal.

Cambodia began seeking World Heritage status for the temple, which has long plagued relations between the two countries, nearly six years ago.

Both countries have historically laid claim to the site, which sits on Cambodian soil but can only be easily accessed from Thailand.

Former Cambodian king Norodom Sihanouk took Thailand to the World Court in 1962 over the two countries’ claim to Preah Vihear. The court ruled the temple belonged to Cambodia.