Disputed temple is indisputably Thai
Play
When the French landed in Cochin China, Siem Reap was on the Siamese border and Angkor had been inside Siam for over 500 years.
Following the Franco-Siamese war, France established a French protectorate over the Siamese eastern provinces and guaranteed their eventual return.
The 1907 treaty used natural boundaries to identify the borders between Siam and the protectorate. Anyone checking a proper map can easily see that Preah Vihear temple is inside Siam and not in the “protected” area.
Thai officials reported the error, but the government bided its time, knowing the eastern provinces would be returned and a simple map-maker’s error would not stand in the way. Then, in 1953, the French officially gave that Siamese protectorate to Cambodia.
Michael Weldon
Udon Thani
