Natural Resource and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti came under fire from government-allied yellow shirts yesterday for accepting Cambodia's plan to establish an international committee to conserve Preah Vihear temple.
However, Suwit negotiated to delay consideration of the plan and made a deal with Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sok An to recognise the plan to set up an International Coordinating Committee (ICC), PAD leader Veera Somkwamkid said.
"There is no single word of objection in the World Heritage Committee (WHC) document and I don't know why Suwit had to put his signature to the draft document," he said.
"I'm worried that it might be an unconstitutional act," he said, noting that Article 190 of the Constitution requires permission from Parliament before a deal is signed with foreign countries.
The WHC decision 34 COM 7B.66 says "the committee further welcomes the steps taken by the state party (Cambodia) towards the establishment of an International Coordinating Committee for the sustainable conservation of the temple at Preah Vihear."
The WHC in 2008 requested Cambodia to invite Thailand and not more than seven other parties to sit on the ICC. Phnom Penh got Australia, China, France, India, Japan and the US to join the committee while Thailand declined an invitation.
The PAD fears that sitting on the ICC might be equivalent to recognising Cambodia's right over Preah Vihear and nearby areas claimed by Thailand.
The PAD echoed a claim by Cambodia that Suwit had already accepted the plan and signed the draft document with Sok An. The deal and signing was witnessed by Brazilian Cultural Minister Joao Luiz Silva Ferreira, who chaired the 34th session of the World Heritage meeting.
The Cambodia's Press and Quick Reaction Unit in the Council of Ministers office said in a statement that the signed compromise decision by Cambodia and Thailand clearly reaffirmed recognition by all concerned parties of official documents concerning the management plan, which had never been recognised previously.
The Thai claim of victory over the delay in considering the management plan to win local and international opinion damaged Thailand's credibility, the statement said, noting the old saying "If you fan the flame, you blow up the fire - or as you sow, so shall you reap".
But Saksit Tridej, permanent secretary of the Natural Resource and Environment Ministry, said Suwit's signing carried no major implication because he made no agreement with Cambodia.
"The signing is a simple documentation work, not a binding signature," he said.
For the WHC decision, the minister's signature meant Thailand had acknowledged progress in establishing an ICC but that did not mean it had 'accepted', Saksit insisted.
"Thailand maintained its stance not to join the ICC until we reached common ground with Cambodia and Unesco over the scope and framework of the committee," he said.
Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the Cabinet yesterday backed Suwit and decided to set up a working group chaired by the minister to follow up Cambodia's management plan for Preah Vihear and seek opportunities and ways to derail the World Heritage listing.
The working group would also lobby all countries which support the Cambodian plan to support Thailand instead and oppose the plan, he said.
The working group would also seek to bid - against Cambodia - for the right to host the 2012 World Heritage Committee meeting.
The government decided to maintain troops in border areas near Preah Vihear to protect Thai sovereignty, he said.
A government source said the Cabinet approved Bt239 million in funds for the military to spend for this task at border areas near Preah Vihear.