Bangkok - Thailand's government has decided to return to
Cambodia seven artifacts smuggled into the kingdom almost 10 years
ago, media reports said Wednesday.
The Thai cabinet approved the diplomatic gesture at its weekly
meeting Tuesday, days before Thailand hosts the 14th Summit of the
Association of South-East Asian Nations, which will be attended by
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
'The return of these artifacts will help strengthen relations
between Thailand and Cambodia,' government spokesman Panitan
Wattanayagorn told the Bangkok Post newspaper.
The seven items, including busts of Cambodian gods and giants of
the 12th or 13th century Bayon style, were part of a shipment of 43
smuggled artifacts intercepted by Thai custom officials at Samut
Prakan port in May 2000.
Thailand's Fine Arts Department has verified the seven artifacts
as being of Cambodian origin, but is still seeking more evidence to
determine the place of origin of the remaining 36 items.
The artifacts will be on display at Bangkok's National Museum
until they are returned to Cambodia, at a still unspecified date.
Thai-Cambodian relations have been tempestuous since July, last
year, when the two neighbouring countries came to blows over a
disputed area in the vicinity of the Pheah Vihear temple, an
11th-century Hindu temple.
Known as Phra Viharn in Thailand, the temple complex was named a
World Heritage Site at a UNESCO meeting in Quebec in July despite
Thai opposition on the grounds that the area surrounding the temple
is still disputed by both nations.
The ancient Hindu temple, perched on a 525-metre-high cliff on the
Dangrek Mountain range that defines the Thai-Cambodian border, has
been the source of a sovereignty dispute for decades.
A row over the temple in 1958 led to a suspension of diplomatic
relations in 1958 and eventually ended up in The Hague for an
international settlement in 1962.
Cambodia won, but the Hague failed to pass judgement on the area
adjacent to the temple.
Last year's renewed dispute led to clashes that claimed five
lives and severely strained Thai-Cambodian diplomatic ties.
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