[Article] Historian advocates joint control of border heritage sites.

January 23, 2011 | The Nation by Supalak Ganjanakhundee

Countries in the Mekong River basin and the Dangrek Mountain range should consider creating a trans-boundary world heritage site of cultural and natural resources to end their border conflicts, prominent historian Charnvit Kasetsiri proposed over the weekend.
Speaking at a seminar "Our Boundaries, Our Asean Neighbours" on Friday, Charnvit said countries in the region had a lot of cultural and natural heritage left by ancestors centuries ago, some of which were sources of conflict.
Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads over the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear for half a century. The proposal by Cambodia to list the ruined temple as a World Heritage site in 2008 fuelled conflict between the neighbouring countries.
A group of Thai nationalists want the government to block Cambodia's attempt to run Preah Vihear and kick a Khmer community out of the area adjacent to the temple.
A ruling by the International Court of Justice in 1962 found that Preah Vihear was situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia.
Bangkok said it respected the court's ruling but argued that the temple's vicinity and even the land where the temple sits belongs to Thailand.
Preah Vihear temple was listed as a World Heritage site in 2008 but the Thai government, with strong support from nationalist groups, opposed its management plan. The two countries remain in conflict and seem to have no way to settle their differences.
Charnvit proposed what he is calling a "Mixed Cultural and Natural Mekong-Dangrek World Heritage" as a model to end the conflict.
There were some examples in the world, he said, where trans-border World Heritage sites had been possible, citing the Iguazu waterfalls - the world's largest - which are situated on the border of Argentina and Brazil.

[...Read the full article here...]

-

[Article] Abhisit sets out Thai position on temple.

Abhisit: Opposes development

22/11/2010 | Bangkok Post

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has clearly told his Cambodian counterpart that Thailand opposes any attempt to develop disputed territory adjacent to the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
Mr Abhisit said he held bilateral talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen last week on the sidelines of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy meeting in Phnom Penh.
Mr Abhisit said during his weekly talk show yesterday morning that it was the first time the two leaders had seriously discussed issues relating to the proposed development near the temple as part of the Preah Vihear World Heritage project.
He told Hun Sen that Thailand considered the area to be Thai territory but the World Heritage listing in 2008 had led to a proposal for Cambodia to manage the area "and that is unacceptable to us".

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

[Article] Strained relations over ancient ruins wrecking lives.

14/10/2010 | Bangkok Post | Barbara Woolsey

The battles have been waged on international platforms and behind closed cabinet doors, but this is more than just politics - this is playing with people's lives.
The Thai-Cambodia border dispute over the Preah Vihear temple is over a century long and for many of the locals, conflict is all they have ever known.
Resting atop a cliff over 1,500 feet above sea level, the ancient place of worship presents a stunning view of extraordinary ruins and endless jungle.
However, its natural beauty and spiritual resonance has been stripped in the ensuing violence undertaken in the name of sovereignty.
Its engimatic beauty is irrelevant. Preah Vihear is a war zone.
Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, but the clash didn't stop there. When the temple was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008, the tension between Thailand and its neighbour came to a head - and is arguably now worse than ever.
For many Thais, the Preah Vihear issue is one of security and nationalism. In a recent poll by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida), nearly 70% of Thai citizens agreed that the government should push Cambodians out of the overlapping area.
But for locals living in the 13 villages across the Thai-Cambodia border, the temple is much more than a symbol of patriotism - it is a constant reminder of economic hardship.
Despite history, "the relationship between Thais and Cambodians used to be like brothers and sisters", said Visit Duangkeaw, a life-long resident of Si Sa Ket province.
"It was very convenient before. We were able to do business on the other side of the border. We could walk freely, that's how easy it was."

Most religious sites invite quiet contemplation, but this border temple of Preah Vihear excites only intemperate passion.

When the temple was declared a World Heritage Site, everything changed.
PAD protests against Unesco's decision, border skirmishes and the resulting military presence threw locals for a loop. They expected the temple to become a popular tourist destination, not target practice.
"People used to be able to exchange information with each other, instead of the military standing on either side of the border," said Mr Visit. "Now, I can see the other person, but we can't even contact each other."
In June, access to the temple from Thailand was blocked off completely. The temple is still reachable through a packed laterite road from Siem Reap, passing directly through a Cambodian military base.
For many tourists, Preah Vihear is not worth the travel or the risk.
"I invested a lot of money in my business [when it became a World Heritage Site] and my business has failed," said merchant Chit Pranpop from Pomsarol village in Si Sa Ket.
Ms Chit borrowed money to expand her small restaurant along the Thai gate to Preah Vihear, which has since closed. She is deeply in debt, working at a temporary work agency as a server.
"[My business failed] only because I can no longer contact the other side where people used to buy my stuff," said Ms Chit. "I would like for that old channel to still exist. That was the only way that I could find money for as long as I can remember."
-

[... Read the full article here ...]

[Publication] IRASEC-ISEAS - Sustainability of Thailand's Competitiveness:

The Policy Challenges

Edited by Patarapong Intarakumnerd and Yveline Lecler

Competitiveness of a country requires continuous upgrading and sometimes, major transformation. Thailand is at the crossroad. It can no longer pursue a strategy based on low-cost advantages, but its capability achievements are still too low to become an advanced economy. This book points out weaknesses of Thailand’s national innovation system or education and suggests how the county should develop new capabilities to survive and prosper in the globalized and fiercely competitive world. It will be useful to researchers and students who want to learn more about Thailand and emerging countries, and also to policy-makers and executives involved in economic and industrial development.

 

Sustainability of Thailand’s Competitiveness

The Policy ChallengeEdited by Patarapong INTARAKUMNERD and Yveline LECLER
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore, 2010, 331 pages.
ISBN: 978-981-4279-47-5
ISBN: 978-981-4279-48-2 (e-book PDF)

IRASEC c/o French Embassy
29, Sathorn Tai Road, Bangkok 10120 Thailand
Tel: (66) 026 27 21 87
www.irasec.com

[Article] The Thai authorities prevent a press conference on human rights in Vietnam.

13 septembre 2010 | FIDH

Debating Vietnam’s human rights record under its ASEAN Chairmanship is more than ever impossible
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) announced yesterday that it has been under pressure by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cancel a press conference on human rights in Vietnam, organized by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR).
The press conference was intended at presenting to the Bangkok-based media a new report entitled “From”vision“to facts: human rights in Vietnam under its chairmanship of ASEAN”. Vo Van Ai and Penelope Faulkner, respectively President and Vice-President of VCHR, were scheduled to speak at this press event.
On the eve of his departure, Vo Van Ai received a call from the Royal Embassy of Thailand in Paris, and was told that in spite of the fact that he had obtained a visa for Thailand, he would not be allowed to enter Thai territory, following a request by the Vietnamese government. This morning, Penelope Faulkner was told by the air company at the Paris airport that she would not be allowed to board her flight because she would not be allowed to enter the Thai territory upon arrival in Bangkok.
“We are dismayed by the Thai authorities’ decision to ban entry on the Thai territory of two well-known human rights defenders who have been peacefully advocating for human rights in Vietnam for years. This is frightening: it illustrates that it is impossible to speak about Vietnam’s human rights record not only in Vietnam, but also in neighbouring countries”, declared Souhayr Belhassen, President of FIDH.

[Read the full article here]

[More informations : read the report (pdf)]

[Article] Temple tension mounts.

30 July 2010 | The Phnom Penh Post | Additional reporting by The Bangkok Post |Cheang Sokha and Sebastian Strangio

CAMBODIAN and Thai officials held abortive talks on the sidelines of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Brazil yesterday in a last-ditch attempt to resolve a dispute over Cambodia’s management plan for Preah Vihear temple.
Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said that during the 45-minute meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and Thai Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti reiterated their governments’ stances on the temple listing.
He said the Thai official demanded joint management of Preah Vihear, and that Sok An repeated Cambodia’s long-standing opposition to such an arrangement.
“There was no significant result from the meeting. The meeting focused on the issue of sovereignty,” Phay Siphan said, but Cambodia “welcomed” UNESCO’s attempt to broker a resolution to the conflict.

[ Read the full article ... ]

~~~

WHC postpones decision on temple plan to next year

30/07/2010 | Bangkok Post

The World Heritage Committee (WHC) on Thursday postponed discussion on Cambodia’s management plan for the Preah Vihear temple to its meeting next year in Bahrain.
The issue was expected to be on the agenda of the 21-member WHC annual meeting in Brasilia, Brazil, on Wednesday.  The committee instead dropped the topic, saying Cambodia had not followed proper procedure in submitting the plan.
Cambodia should have handed in its management proposal six months ahead of the meeting, but it made its submission less than 24 hours before the meeting began.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti, who is leading the Thai delegation, said from Brazil that the postponement is a satisfactory result.
"This will allow Thailand more time for to discuss the issue and to find solutions," he said.
Mr Suwit thanked his team, the government and the Thai people for their support and for voicing their opposition to Cambodia managing the site.

[Read the full article ... ]

The 11th century Preah Vihear temple is seen near the Thai border in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh, in this June 21, 2008 file photo. The World Heritage committee meeting in Canada has on June 7, 2008 approved Cambodia's application to list Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

[Article] Festivities celebrate temple

08 July 2010 | Phnom Penh Post | Vong Sokheng

Preah Vihear province
During the ceremony, Buddhist monks chanted blessings while performers beat traditional Khmer drums representing the warrior ethic of the Angkorian empire.
In an address, Chea Dara, deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, paid tribute to the “smart leadership” of Prime Minister Hun Sen, which he said had helped protect the temple from Thai occupation.
“We are determined to protect Preah Vihear temple and its sovereignty according to the policy of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who ordered us not to invade 1 millimetre into Thailand, and also not to allow our sovereignty to be invaded by 1 millimetre either,” he said.
The temple’s July 2008 listing by UNESCO was highly controversial in Thailand, and triggered a rapid troop buildup along the border with Cambodia. The standoff has been punctuated by a series of small-scale clashes – some of them deadly – along the frontier.
Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said the celebration was designed to raise awareness about the value of the ancient temple as an emblem of Cambodian history and culture.
In a press conference at Wat Keo Sekha Kirisvarak yesterday, he said the issue of ownership was definitively settled by a 1962 World Court ruling that handed the temple to Cambodia.
“We are here to look for cultural conservation and preservation, but the government of Thailand looks at the temple as a border conflict,” he said.
“We take this important day to send a message to Thai soldiers and the international community that Cambodia has no border conflict with Thailand.”
He added that in 2009, the government spent US$99 million conserving Preah Vihear and improving road access to it.
Hang Soth, director general of the Preah Vihear National Authority, said that ever since the UNESCO listing, projects had been undertaken to ready the temple for an increase in tourists.
“My work here is to focus on the conservation, restoration and research of the heritage site in order to ensure its sustainable development as a tourist destination,” he said.
Hang Soth said much progress on preservation had been made in the past two years, but that work had been hamstrung by tension with Thailand.
He said that with international support, the 11-century ruins could finally get the attention they deserve after years of civil war and conflict.
“We hope that the international community will support our research and conservation projects,” he said.


Evidence in Thai bombing
Also yesterday, Thai police said they found evidence linking a pair of Red Shirt activists to the attempted bombing of a political party headquarters in Bangkok on June 22, following their deportation from Cambodia on Monday.

[... Read the full article ...]

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

[Rapport] Bridging Thailand’s Deep Divide.

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP - NEW REPORT
Bridging Thailand’s Deep Divide

Bangkok/Brussels, 5 July 2010 : The Thai government should immediately lift the state of emergency to create conditions for national reconciliation that would allow the building of a new political consensus and the holding of peaceful elections if the country is to return to stability.

Bridging Thailand’s Deep Divide,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group, says the protracted tussle between the royalist establishment and those allied with ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has left the country deeply polarised. In April and May it sparked the most violent political confrontations in decades, killing at least 90 people, injuring nearly 2,000 and inflicting deep wounds on the national psyche. Shortly before authorising a violent crackdown on anti-government protestors by the army, the establishment-backed government of Abhisit Vejjajiva unilaterally offered to opposition groups a “roadmap” to national reconciliation. It now persists with this plan despite having created an atmosphere of repression where basic rights of the pro-Thaksin “Red Shirt” movement are denied by emergency laws.

[ ... Read the full article here ]

To support our work in Asia and around the world, please click here. 
*Read the full Crisis Group report on our website: www.crisisgroup.org
Andrew Stroehlein (Brussels) +32 (0) 2 541 1635
Kimberly Abbott (Washington) +1 202 785 1602
To contact Crisis Group media please click here

[Publication] (Irasec) Thaïlande.

Thaïlande
Aux origines d’une crise

Carnet n°13 -  juin 2010Avec des contributions d’Olivier Ferrari, Narumon Hinshiranan Arunotai, Jacques Ivanoff et Arnaud Leveau

Téléchargement gratuit 

La longue crise qui sévit en Thaïlande a touché tous les secteurs d’activités en révélant au monde des dysfonctionnements de la société thaïlandaise qui « posent question ». Le centre économique et commercial de la capitale s’est transformé du 3 avril au 19 mai en un vaste camp retranché insurrectionnel. Quel spectacle peut-il mieux faire comprendre le malaise de la Thaïlande, que celui de cette "masse paysanne" au cœur de celle de la ville marchande, composée d’une élite de nouveaux riches qui estiment être les "vrais Thaïlandais".
Le face-à-face a obligé chaque camp à affronter des questions de société qui surgissent non pas spontanément, mais qui auraient dû être réglées depuis longtemps : la fragmentation mentale du territoire national (le fameux geo-body de l’historien Thongchai Winichakul), l’historique de la construction de l’identité nationale thaï (la Thainess).

Dans le cadre de la prochaine réédition de sa Monographie nationale sur la Thaïlande contemporaine (dernier trimestre 2010), l’Irasec propose des pistes de réflexions sur les origines d’une crise vues par quatre chercheurs : Jacques Ivanoff (CNRS –Irasec), Olivier Ferrari (Irasec – CUSRI), Narumon Hinshiranan Arunotai (Université Chulalongkorn – CUSRI) et Arnaud Leveau (Irasec).

Irasec – Occasional Paper n°13
115 pages
Téléchargement gratuit depuis www.irasec.com
ISBN 978-616-90282-5-3

[Article] Students create virtual-world temple.

3 June 2010 | The Nation | Jirapan Boonnoon

3D technology captures Thai heritage, arts and culture

Internet users can now visit a three-dimensional virtual world of Thailand's past, presenting a new and surprisingly real insight into Thai heritage, arts and culture.
Called 3D Virtual World Heritage Wat Chaiwattanaram, the glimpse into Thailand's history is a joint effort by Kasetsart University, Sun Microsystems and the Inter University Network, UniNet, using Sun Wonderland technology.
Above all else, the project, at niramit.hpcnc.com/WatChaiWatanaram, involves pride in the Thai heritage, by promoting a kind of Internet tourism.
A professor at Kasetsart University's Computer Engineering Department, Putchong Uthayyopas, said the three-dimensional virtual world of Wat Chaiwattanaram had been developed by students of his department.
The Sun Wonderland project, under which it has been developed, provides a Java open-source toolkit for creating collaborative 3D virtual worlds. Users can communicate with high-fidelity immersive audio and share live desktop applications and documents.
The Wonderland system is also completely extensible. Developers and graphic artists can extend its functionality to create entirely new worlds or add new features to existing worlds.
Putchong said the Wat Chaiwattanaram project aimed to investigate the use of a 3D virtual world to recreate a cultural heritage that was in danger of being lost. As it was being hosted by the UniNet infrastructure, it could be used for education. [...Read the full article...]

[Publication] (Irasec) Alternatives agricoles en Thaïlande.

De la riziculture à la globalisation
Roland POUPON

-

 A l’échelle internationale, le spectre de la famine inquiète encore les prévisionnistes. La pauvreté rurale apparaît comme un frein à l’entrée de la paysannerie dans la modernité. Puissance agro-exportatrice de premier rang, la Thaïlande a su maintenir la compétitivité de ses productions et celle de ses organisations agricoles sur les marchés internationaux. Comment pouvons-nous expliquer les stratégies agricoles de la Thaïlande et la réussite de son alter-révolution verte ? Par une approche holistique et transdisciplinaire mêlant économie, histoire, géographie et agronomie voire arts culinaires et ethnographie, Roland Poupon retrace dans cet ouvrage la genèse originale des filières alimentaires thaïlandaises et son passage d’une riziculture de subsistance à son entrée au cœur du négoce international. 

Au sommaire :
Première partie - Une monarchie asiatique agraire
Deuxième partie - L'agriculture : un système de petites exploitations familiales
Troisième partie - L'industrie agroalimentaire : des PME sino-thaïes
Quatrième partie - Le monde marchand du courtier de village au négoce international
Cinquième partie - Modèle de développement et alter-révolution verte 

Alternatives agricoles en Thaïlande

Roland Poupon
Irasec – Kailash éditions, 2010, 418 pages.
ISBN : 978-2-84268-189-0
Disponible en librairie ainsi que sur fnac.fr et amazon.com 

L’auteur

Roland Poupon est ingénieur agronome (ENSIA - Agro Paris Tech) et docteur en géographie (Université Toulouse II – Le Mirail). Après avoir été le premier expatrié français en Asie d'un grand groupe français de distribution, il est aujourd'hui consultant international dans les filières agricoles et alimentaires. Roland Poupon dirige par ailleurs un groupe d'entreprises de service dans ce secteur (conseil, courtage, négoce, restauration) avec des implantations en Chine, en Thaïlande, au Viêt Nam, en Inde et en France. Il poursuit parallèlement une activité de chercheur indépendant centrée sur l'agrobusiness. Il travaille à mettre en évidence les vertus de la diversité et des potentiels de cultures alternatives. L'agriculture thaïlandaise sert de base à son analyse.
L’Irasec
L’Institut de recherche sur l’Asie du Sud-Est contemporaine (USR 3142 – UMIFRE 22 CNRS MAEE) s’intéresse depuis 2001 aux évolutions politiques, sociales et environnementales en cours dans les onze pays de la région. Basé à Bangkok, l’Institut fait appel à des chercheurs de tous horizons disciplinaires et académiques qu’il associe au gré des problématiques. Il privilégie autant que possible les démarches transversales.

--

[Article] En Thaïlande, "le premier problème est la profondeur de la division du pays".

Le Monde | 24.05.10 | Envoyé spécial, Bangkok
Paul M. Handley est l'auteur d'une biographie sur le roi de Thaïlande, Bhumibol Adulyadej, bannie au royaume de Siam, The King Never Smiles : a Biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej (Yale University Press). Aujourd'hui basé à Ryad où il est journaliste pour l'AFP, il décrypte la crise politique thaïlandaise en regard du rôle ambigu du palais royal dans la vie politique tout au long du règne du roi de Thaïlande. Entretien.

Le roi de Thaïlande est vénéré, mais il a largement usé de son influence en politique durant son règne, à la fois sous la dictature militaire et en démocratie. La crise politique actuelle n'est-elle pas aussi celle de ce système de gouvernement ambigu ?
Ce n'est pas la monarchie qui gouverne en Thaïlande – elle ne dirige pas activement le pays. Mais avec leurs alliés militaires, le roi et l'institution royale se réservent un droit ultime de décision. Ils l'invoquent à chaque fois qu'ils perçoivent une menace contre leurs intérêts et leur autorité. Le roi et quelques-uns des militaires estiment que cette autorité est utilisée dans l'intérêt du peuple et de la nation thaïlandaise. En réalité, pour tout un groupe de gens, et surtout la majeure partie des dirigeants militaires, c'est un moyen d'abuser du pouvoir dont ils disposent, à des fins personnelles.
Durant le règne du roi Bhumibol, à chaque fois que le palais et ses alliés militaires ont senti leur autorité ultime menacée par une personne ou un mouvement, ils ont tout mis en œuvre pour éliminer cette menace, d'autant plus lorsqu'elle s'est avérée être un mouvement populaire mené par un leader élu. Ils n'ont jamais pris en considération la valeur ajoutée apportée au pays, quoi qu'aient pu proposer ces mouvements. Cette tendance a été une constante durant tout le règne de Bhumibol.
Pendant les années 1980, tout cela était justifié comme une lutte contre le communisme. Mais le maintien de ce postulat après la fin de la guerre froide a été de plus en plus difficile à justifier. Pourtant, ils ont insisté sur le maintien de l'autorité suprême et sur ce droit de veto général, même si ils n'avaient pas de responsabilité ou de capacité de direction au quotidien.

Quelle responsabilité a Thaksin Shinawatra (ex-premier ministre thaïlandais en exil) dans cette crise ?
L'alliance Palais-militaires mise en place depuis 1990 a clairement été incapable de mener à bien la modernisation de la Thaïlande. Cependant, ils ont conservé leurs positions. Ils étaient très nerveux lorsque Thaksin Shinawatra est devenu premier ministre, parce qu'il avait un très fort soutien populaire, en particulier des populations rurales et des couches inférieures de la classe moyenne, les laissés-pour-compte du boom économique de la Thaïlande.
Lorsque la popularité de Thaksin a augmenté, et qu'il a essayé d'institutionnaliser son propre pouvoir (en plaçant ses propres hommes au sein de la police et de l'armée), l'alliance Palais-militaires a de nouveau invoqué ce droit de veto auquel elle a si souvent eu recours, en soutenant un soulèvement contre Thaksin, puis en essayant d'utiliser la justice pour le forcer à partir, et jusqu'au coup d'Etat de 2006.
Thaksin fut un premier ministre très corrompu, il a ouvertement abusé de son pouvoir, mais ce fut aussi le dirigeant élu le plus populaire de l'histoire thaïlandaise. Et de nouveau, une grande partie de la population a vu en lui la personne qui a le plus amélioré leurs conditions de vie être écartée du pouvoir.
Les deux premiers ministres suivants, élus au Parlement par le parti de Thaksin, ont également été contraints de démissionner, jusqu'à ce que finalement l'alliance Palais-militaires ait été en mesure de désigner leur partisan, Abhisit Vejjajiva.

A Bangkok, il y avait une forte haine envers Thaksin et les chemises rouges dans la classe moyenne et supérieure, car il n'était pas leur homme, et à juste titre, nombreux sont ceux qui se sentaient menacés par sa popularité. Néanmoins, il était populaire et il a été enlevé à ses partisans. Et les partisans de Thaksin ne voient pas Abhisit comme quelqu'un qui a leurs intérêts et leurs besoins à l'esprit. Ils se sentent dépossédés, et ils connaissent maintenant clairement les coupables : le palais et ses alliés militaires.

...

Suite de l'article >>

Propos recueillis par Brice Pedroletti
Traduit de l'anglais par Marine Campagne.

[Article] Meet Sampson, the 2000-year-old Thailand dog wowing archeologists worldwide.

April 2010 | JCNN | By Cassie Cocks
--
Every dog has its day – even if it has to wait 2000 years for it! That’s how long it took to discover the bones of suspected wolfhound Sampson, whose remains were recently uncovered at a dig site in Ban Non Wat, north-east Thailand.
“The first thing we noticed about it was the size. It stood a bit less than a metre,” says Allison Isepy, who found Sampson’s bones together with fellow James Cook University student Belinda Duke. “It’s a very tall dog – probably a wolfhound.”
Isepy says she’s only briefly analysed Sampson’s bones but believes he died of natural causes and estimates his age to be about six. She’ll be returning to Thailand in the June semester break to continue her analysis and conduct a comparative study of other dog bones found on-site.

Each year students from James Cook University travel to Thailand to join the team working on the prehistoric site at Ban Non Wat. “It really is one of the most exciting excavation sites in the world,” Isepy says. “Every 10 centimetres we find something else!”
The Ban Non Wat project attracts archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists and biologists from many countries including Canada, England and the USA. The site contains layers from 4000 years ago and is focused on investigating the dynamic relationship between people and changes in the environment. It’s part of a 15-year series in the region and, for the last three years, has been directed by archaeologist Dr Nigel Chang and anatomy specialist Dr Kate Domett, both from James Cook University.
“This site gives our students a chance to be part of an international project and to gain new experience and skills,” Dr Chang says. “The project is generating a life of its own. It has inspired local universities and provided more opportunities for the community.”
Students visit Ban Non Wat for two or three months each year, so it’s up to local scientists and volunteers to learn the required skills to keep the project going. “The project promotes JCU, archaeology and education, as community learning develops on-site,” Dr Chang says. “And the exciting thing about Sampson is it’s the best-preserved dog burial we’ve found so far.”
The Ban Non Wat project is made possible through funding from the Earthwatch Institute and the many volunteers who take part in the dig.

--

More informations :

- Bronze Age Dog Burial at Ban Non Wat | April 19, 2010 | alisonincambodia

--

[Article] Indus-like inscription on South Indian pottery from Thailand.

8 april 2010 | The Hindu | Iravatham Mahadevan

Figure 1: The pottery inscription from Thailand with Indus-like symbols, probably on south Indian megalithic pottery.

A fragmentary pottery inscription was found during excavations conducted by the Thai Fine Arts at Phu Khao Thong in Thailand about three years ago. (Dr. Berenice Bellina of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France, sent me a photograph of the object: Figure 1)

The discovery of a Tamil-Brahmi pottery inscription of about the second century CE at the same site was reported earlier ( The Hindu, July 16, 2006). One can presume that the present inscription is also from the Tamil country and belongs approximately to the same period. The two characters incised on the pottery now reported are not in the Brahmi script. They appear to be graffiti symbols of the type seen on the South Indian megalithic pottery of the Iron Age-Early Historical Period (second century BCE to third century CE).

Figure 2: Megalithic symbol at Sanur in Tamil Nadu (left) and signs in the Indus texts at Kalibangan (right, top) and Harappa (bottom).

What makes the discovery exciting is that the two symbols on the pottery resemble the Indus script, and even the sequence of the pair can be found in the Indus texts, especially those from Harappa.

The symbol looking vaguely like an ‘N' appears to be the same as the Indus signs 47 or 48 (in Figure 3). Professor B.B. Lal, former Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, showed that these Indus signs have a remarkable resemblance to the megalithic symbol occurring at Sanur, near Tindivanam, and elsewhere in Tamil Nadu (Figure 2). More recently, the same symbol has turned up on two pottery fragments from Pattanam in Kerala (probably the same as Musiri of the Sangam Age). I have compared the symbols with the Indus signs depicting a seated anthropomorphic deity.

The symbol on the Thai pottery resembles a diamond. It occurs in the Indus script in diamond or oval forms (Signs 261 and 373 in Figure 3).

Figure 3: Indus signs and texts. Note the same sequence of two signs on Thai pottery and miniature tablets from Harappa.

What is extraordinary about the present find is the occurrence of the two symbols on the pottery in the same sequence as found in the Indus texts (see for example texts 4589 and 5265 from Harappa, Figure 3). The Thai pottery has only two symbols. Another symbol might have been lost owing to the fragmentary state of the pottery.

Sequences such as this on the Thai pottery and those reported on the inscribed Neolithic stone axe from Sembiyan Kandiyur and on megalithic pottery from Sulur (near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu) provide evidence for the survival of the Indus script in South India during the megalithic age, and for the possibility that the languages of the Indus Civilisation and South India belong to the same family, namely Dravidian.

(The sign and text numbers are cited from The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables, by Iravatham Mahadevan (1977). The author is Honorary Consultant of the Indus Research Centre at Roja Muthiah Research Library in Chennai.)

— PHOTOS: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

[Article] Dig site to open study centre.

Ban Chiang village in Udon Thani to showcase pottery tradition, prehistoric past.

March 27, 2010 | Bangkok Post | Writer: Naowarat Suksamran.

Ban Chiang, a popular archaeological site in Udon Thani, will soon become a research and study centre where tourists and members of the public can learn more about the prehistoric settlement.
The planned development of Ban Chiang in Udon Thani's Nong Han district, listed as World Heritage Site No. 359, follows advice given by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn during her visit to the site early last month.

The Princess was interested in archaeological studies and wanted to see the conservation of national treasures.

Fine Arts Department director-general Kriangkrai Sampatchalit put his deputy, Sahawat Naenna, in charge of the project to develop Ban Chiang as a study centre.

Ban Chiang village dates back to the Bronze Age and is built on the site of an ancient cemetery. The earliest grave dates from about 2100 BC.

Mr Sahawat said he had consulted archaeological experts, historians and academics about the establishment of the centre at Ban Chiang.

If the project proves successful, it would be expanded to other archaeological sites nationwide, he said.

Once it is developed as a research and study centre, Ban Chiang will attract visitors interested in items excavated at the site, including ancient artefacts, human skeletons, and historic pottery. The site would also serve as a learning centre for those interested in the patterns of painted earthenware in prehistoric cultures, and painting techniques used on pottery and other utensils that showcase ancient technology, said Mr Sahawat. [...]

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn looks at ancient objects displayed at the Galyani Vadhana Building at the Ban Chiang National Museum in Udon Thani on Feb 9 after presiding over the opening of the building.

Photo Courtesy of Udon Thani Public relations Office.

Read the full article here.

Séminaire - Human trafficking is modern salvery.

Regional Seminar on

“Human Trafficking in Mainland Southeast Asia”

March 31 - April 2, 2010

Mahachulalongkorn Building #105, Chulalongkir (Thaïlande).

-

:: organized by ::

The Asian Research Centre for Migration (ARCM), Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University

The Chula Global Network (CGN), Chulalongkorn University

The French Embassy (Regional Delegation for cultural and scientific cooperation)

The Research Institute on Contemporary South East Asia (IRASEC) / The Observatory on illicit trafficking

-

Rationale

Human Trafficking is a concern both at the national and regional level for the countries within the Mekong Sub Region and more generally for the international community. However, it is still difficult to evaluate the scope and the numbers of victims of the phenomenon which remain widely unknown.

In a context where different forms of trafficking become more and more interconnected and aggravate one another, the fight against human trafficking needs a strong commitment from all actors. Through an approach focusing on the victim, Chulalongkorn University and IRASEC /Observatory have cooperated to organize a seminar on human trafficking concentrating upon two themes: the prevention and protection of the victims.

-

Objectives

The regional seminar will be organized as a workshop, with the following objectives

1. To try to reach a consensus among various actors such as governments, NGOs, International Organizations, Researcher and donors on identifying needs and limits of ongoing and future actions both at local and national levels.

2. To strengthen effective and adaptive regional cooperation mechanisms against human trafficking.

-

Program of the seminar  >>

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Chutamas Phanyapornsuk, Manager of Chula Global Network, Chulalongkorn University

+662 218 3932-3 +662 218 3934 E-mail: chutamas.p@chula.ac.th

And Mr. Jiradej Mahawannakij, Administrative Assistant of IRASEC-Observatory

+662 627 2184 +662 627 2185 E-mail: documentation@irasec.com

-

Ayutthaya Historical Park taking shape [The Nation]

By Pakamard Jaichalard |The Nation |Published on February 5, 2010

"We have already recreated six temples in pictures," Fine Arts Department director-general Grienggrai Sampatchalit said yesterday.
He was speaking after attending a ceremony to worship late Thai kings at the Ayutthaya Historical Park.
The ancient complex at Ayutthaya is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
PTT Exploration and Production has provided more than Bt68 million for the project to conserve the complex in honour of His Majesty the King.
HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has been the chief adviser to this project.

Vigorous efforts are now up and running to recreate the core zone of the once-splendid capital of Ayutthaya in 3D models and animation.

Grienggrai said officials would develop the pictures and models for the reconstruction, based on the ancient remains.
"Once the project is completed, visitors will be able to see the models that will depict clearly where each structure was located in the old days," he said.
Grienggrai added that animation would also be produced and kept for study purposes at learning centres.
Methadon Wijakkhana, who heads the Ayutthaya Historical Park, said the models would be very close to what stood in Ayutthaya centuries ago.
"This is because we have developed the models not just from historical remains but also from old documents," he said.
Methadon pointed out that photos taken in the reign of King Rama V could be used to develop the model for Wat Mahathat. He added that there was also an old map prepared by Dutchmen.
"This is the first time innovative technology has been used at the Ayutthaya Historical Park," he said.
He believed the project would boost the number of visitors to the park. Once completed, the pictures and models will be put right next to the historical remains so that visitors have a clearer idea of what Ayutthaya looked like in the past.
Currently, the Ayutthaya Historical Park attracts 1.2 million tourists from about 90 countries annually. Of them, about 60 per cent are from Europe.

---

Google says it will look into complaint from Cambodia that border map with Thailand is wrong [AFP via The Baltimore Sun]

Sopheng Cheang Associated Press Writer, February 10, 2010.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Google Inc. said Wednesday it would look into a complaint from Cambodia that an online map showing the country's border with Thailand was wrong, though it stopped short of saying it would change the document.

The Internet giant was responding to a request last week from Cambodia to replace a Google Earth map that the government said was "devoid of truth and reality, and professionally irresponsible, if not pretentious."
Cambodian-Thai relations have been strained by competing claims to the border area near an 11th-century mountaintop temple called Preah Vihear. The world court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, but sovereignty over the surrounding land has never been clearly resolved.
Several gun battles in the area since 2008 have killed at least seven Thai and Cambodian soldiers, and both sides have refused to back away from their positions, each saying it has the rightful claim to the land.
Cambodia complained in its letter to Google that the map features a border that would put half the temple in Thailand.
Google, in a letter sent to the government and provided to reporters Wednesday, said it was "carefully reviewing" Phnom Penh's objection but also suggested that it contact Tele Atlas, a mapping company it says provided the border data to the company.
"We understand that the governments of both Thailand and Cambodia are pursuing bilateral negotiations to clarify the existing borders between the two countries and we would be happy to review any authoritative border data which the government of Cambodia can provide," said the letter, dated Feb. 9 and signed by Ross LaJeunesse, Google's head of public policy and government affairs for Asia Pacific.
A spokeswoman for Tele Atlas could not immediately be reached for comment.
The border issue has been used by politicians to stir up nationalist sentiment in both Thailand and Cambodia for decades.
Thai nationalists consider the 1962 ruling on the temple an injustice. Last year, Thai-Cambodian relations soured when Bangkok first backed, then opposed Cambodia's bid to have the temple declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Some Thais believe the designation undermines their claims to a small area of surrounding land, despite denials by the U.N. cultural agency.
Tensions were stoked again over the weekend when Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen visited the area. On Tuesday, he vowed to bring the entire border dispute to the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
Cambodia wants Google to replace its current map with one the government says was accepted in 1908 by Thailand.
Associated Press writer Michael Casey in Bangkok contributed to this report. [link]

~~~~~~~

- Cambodia rebukes Google over disputed Thai border map - AFP via Channel NewsAsia | 6 feb.2010.
- Google to review Cambodian map over Preah Vihear Temple - Xinhua | 10 feb.2010.

Internet : Céramique traditionnelle au Nord-est de la Thailande.

Le blog Alison in Cambodia consacre un article bien illustré à la présentation du mode opératoire de la céramique traditionnelle de la région Nord-est de la Thailande.
Une vidéo est aussi disponible.

Making Ceramics in Northeast Thailand
January 21, 2010.
While I was off doing research in Thailand, I was lucky enough to visit Jim Thompson’s silk farm and see a small demonstration of traditional pottery making.   The way this woman made pottery is the way archaeologists think people have been making pottery in Southeast Asia for thousands of years.  (...)

Voir l'article : cliquer sur le lien.

Cambodia reports clash with Thai troops on border [The Jakarta Post]

Sopheng Cheang ,  Associated Press ,  Phnom Penh   |  Sun, 01/24/2010

Cambodian troops clashed Sunday with Thai soldiers near a temple that lies along a disputed part of their border and has been the scene of several deadly skirmishes in recent years, Cambodian military officials said.
Lt. Gen. Chea Tara, deputy armed forces commander and field commander for the area, said Cambodia suffered no casualties in the fighting in northern Cambodia, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) east of Preah Vihear temple. He said the fighting began when Thai troops intruded into Cambodian territory.
Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Chhum Socheach said there were two firefights lasting about five minutes each. He could not say if Thai forces suffered any casualties.
Thai military authorities could not immediately be reached for confirmation of the fighting in an area.
The Cambodian officers said the area was calm after the fighting, but that both countries were on alert.
The area has been a flashpoint since 2008, when Thai nationalists protested Cambodian efforts to have the 11th century Preah Vihear temple named a U.N. World Heritage site. They claimed the move could invalidate Thai claims to small parcels of nearby jungle area.
In 1962, the World Court awarded the temple and the land it is on to Cambodia, but sovereignty over adjacent areas has never been clearly resolved.
The issue is closely linked to Thailand's domestic politics because the 2008 protests about the temple were led by the People's Alliance for Democracy, a group which was seeking to unseat the Thai government then in power because of its links to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin was ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and disrespecting constitutional monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The alliance raised the issue to stir up nationalist sentiment and attract support.
The furor caused both Thailand and Cambodia to reinforce their military positions in the area, and tensions have broken out into fighting on several occasions, leading to several deaths.
Relations between the two countries plunged further in November last year, when Cambodia named Thaksin an adviser on economic affairs. The appointment, and subsequent visits by Thaksin, set off a diplomatic row in which the two countries recalled their ambassadors. A Thai court in 2008 sentenced Thaksin in absentia to two years in prison on a corruption charge.
Cambodia has refused to extradite Thaksin. 

Lieutenant General Chea Tara, deputy armed forces commander and field commander for the area, said Cambodia suffered no casualties in the fighting on Sunday, about 12 miles (20 kilometres) east of Preah Vihear temple. -- PHOTO: REUTERS [Article: Cambodia, Thai troops clash - AP/ via Straits Times]

Pour plus d'informations, voir, entre autres, les articles suivants :

- Cambodia, Thai troops clash [AP/via Straits Time] 

PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA'S military says its troops have clashed briefly with Thai soldiers along a disputed border area. (...);

- Khmer and Thai troops clash at border near temple [By Deutsche Presse Agentur / via The Nation]

Phnom Penh - Cambodian and Thai soldiers exchanged fire early Sunday 20 kilometres from a disputed ancient temple site on Cambodia's northern border, a Defence Ministry spokesman said. (...) ;

- Thai Army Rangers clash with Cambodian troops near Preah Vihear temple [MCOT News]

SI SA KET, Jan 24 (TNA) -- Thai Army Rangers clashed early Sunday with a unit of Cambodian soldiers near the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, a senior Thai army officer said. No casualties were reported. (...) .