Thailand’s map places Ta Moan Thom inside Cambodia.

Photo: -Ta Moan Thom Temple sits within Cambodian territory, based on the 1:200,000-scale map, the 1908 and 1919 Indochina-Siam commission boundary-marking minutes, and Thailand’s unilaterally drawn 1:50,000-scale L7017 map. SSBA

Synopsis: Official border demarcation records and technical surveys from both nations verify the ancient site’s location within Cambodian territory.

Thailand’s own L7017 military map, in addition to the internationally recognised 1:200,000-scale map produced by the Franco-Indochina–Siam Boundary Commission, places Ta Moan Thom Temple within Cambodian territory, a senior border official said.

The 11th-century Khmer temple along the Dangrek Mountains remains under illegal Thai occupation by the Thai military following two rounds of military assaults against Cambodia in July and December, despite strong condemnation and repeated protests from Phnom Penh.

In an interview with state broadcaster TVK, State Secretariat of Border Affairs Permanent Secretary of State Ith Sotha said historical and technical evidence confirms Cambodia’s sovereignty over the ancient temple, despite Thailand’s continued occupation of the area.

Sotha said the conclusion is supported by the 1:200,000-scale map produced during the Franco-Indochina-Siam Boundary Commission’s demarcation work, as well as Thailand’s own L7017 map at a scale of 1:50,000 prepared by the Royal Thai Survey Department.

He said that the boundary reproduced from the internationally recognised 1:200,000-scale map, together with the unilateral boundary line shown on Thailand’s L7017 map, clearly indicates that Ta Moan Thom Temple is situated within Cambodian territory.

“It is also clear that Ta Moan Thom Temple is located within Cambodian territory,” he said.

To support his explanation, he referred to satellite imagery showing the temple’s location and said the images could be enlarged to clearly identify the site.

He also cited the Indications Topographiques (Topographic Indications Map), an annex to the survey records of the Franco-Indochina–Siam Boundary Commission in 1908, which he described as additional documentary evidence confirming the temple’s location.

He said the map identifies Khmer temple ruins in the area and corresponds with the findings of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Survey Teams during fieldwork to locate Boundary Marker No 23.

He said the historical records and the joint field survey provide documentary and factual evidence supporting Cambodia’s sovereignty over Ta Moan Thom Temple.

“I would like to reiterate that Ta Moan Thom Temple is situated within Cambodian territory, based on the 1:200,000-scale map and the Indications Topographiques map, which were jointly produced by the French and Siamese authorities during the border demarcation work in 1908,” he said.

Sotha said Thailand’s continued reliance on newly drawn boundary lines has no legal standing.

“Although Thailand is now attempting to draw a new boundary line to incorporate areas that it has invaded and illegally occupied into Thai territory, such maps cannot be regarded as having any legal validity,” he added.

Cambodia remains committed to defending its internationally recognised border with Thailand and rejects any forceful attempts to alter boundaries, government spokesman Pen Bona said.

-Khmer Times-