Post-Conflict Heritage News and Stories

new book series, manuscripts wanted

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 18:48:50 +1000

IB Taurus has launched what looks to be a very promising book series on post-conflict reconstruction and development.

as the text below indicates, they are on the look out for new manuscripts.

International Library of

POSTWAR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

INVITATION TO PUBLISH

The International Library of Postwar Reconstruction and Development was established to provide an overview and critique of post-conflict transitions. It aims to make available a comprehensive series of volumes that will guide and inform both theory and practice. We hope that books in the series will find an audience among professionals in reconstruction and development as well as among academics and students of international relations, development studies, postwar recovery, security studies and economics.

Recently published and forthcoming volumes include:

􏰀 Disaster Management and Civil Society: Earthquake Relief in Japan, Turkey and India (2005)
􏰀 Post-war Recovery: Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (2008)
􏰀 Violence and Post-war Reconstruction: Managing Insecurity in the Aftermath of Peace Accords (2009)
􏰀 Policy Transfer in Post-war Reconstruction (2009)

We welcome interest from both professionals and academics in postwar reconstruction and related areas. Key topics of interest are:

􏰀 Researching in Conflict
􏰀 Ethnicity and Reconstruction
􏰀 Aid Financing for Post-Conflict Reconstruction
􏰀 Post-Conflict Public Administration Reform and Civil Service Strengthening
􏰀 Anti-Corruption and Integrity
􏰀 Civil-Military Cooperation
􏰀 Peacekeeping and Transitional Administration
􏰀 Security and Justice Sector Reform
􏰀 Transitional Justice and Human Rights

Preference will be given to thematic rather than country- or context-specific pieces unless a strong argument can be made for the latter. Interested authors are invited to submit proposals for the series. A proposal should include a one-page overview of the book and a 200-word abstract for each envisioned chapter. In the case of edited volumes, please name the intended author of each chapter; only authors who have expressed interest in contributing to the volume should be included. Also provide an anticipated date of delivery and the expected length of the manuscript, and please indicate the status of the project, i.e. whether it is at outline stage or a full manuscript is available. Applications should be accompanied by the CV (no more than 10 pages) of the proposed author or editor; in the case of edited volumes, please provide short (4- to 6-sentence) profiles of the contributors, including current employment/affiliation and recent publications.

Please send proposals to the Series Editor, Professor Sultan Barakat of the University of York’s Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU), at szb1@york.ac.uk, copying all messages to sc23@york.ac.uk.
Proposals may also be sent to David Stonestreet, Senior Editor at I.B. Tauris, at dstonestreet@ibtauris.com or at 6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU, United Kingdom. Confirmation will be sent upon receipt of applications. Once proposals have been reviewed internally and externally, applicants will receive a response. We aim to provide responses within six weeks of receipt.

For additional information on books within this series, please visit www.ibtauris.com/ILPRD.

return from preah vihear

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 16:32:45 +1100

finally been able to get some images up from last week’s trip to preah vihear. contrary to recent media reports, the issue has yet to settle down. the temple is surrounded by army tents, and dozens of military personnel are now camped out within the parameters of the world heritage site. the border through to thailand is now 5 metres deep with razor wire, and the tourist market has closed down.
while i was there it was confirmed that the Chinese government has donated US$290 million for the construction of the road from Angkor to preah vihear. clearly this is all being driven by a desire to secure control over the development of the border region as a tourist destination. the cambodian government is looking to control the bulk of the access rights, concessions and land deals that will pop up over the coming years.

its all a game of chess

talks to be held in siem reap

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:47:27 +1100

its clear from reading the various stories in Southeast Asia’s newspapers that the next few days could see some significant developments in thai/cambodian conflict over preah vihear. talks between high ranking military officials and politicians are scheduled for thursday in siem reap. despite these positive signs, colleagues living in the town have reported seeing a number of tanks and personnel carriers moving through on their way to the border in the last few days. its also clear that, on both sides, thousands of troops have been moved into the region surrounding the temple.

a strange coincidence of events means i should be able to give many more details in the next five or six days. boarding a plane for bangkok first thing in the morning, and still need to iron some shirts....

villagers returning to border area

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:39:28 +1100

it seems as though a week after the clash on the thai/cambodian border villagers, who fled the region, are now returning to their homes. the phnom penh post story below summarises recent developments

Exodus of villagers ends as calm returns to border areas

Written by Cheang Sokha
WEDNESDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2008

As a quiet spreads over the border between Thailand and Cambodia, villagers who fled the fighting are returning home

HUNDREDS of people who fled their homes near the Thai border when fighting broke out between Cambodian and Thai soldiers last week have now returned to their villages.About 90 percent of villagers in Kor Muoy, a village only about six kilometres from the temple, left following last week's fighting, leaving a ghost town behind.Almost all the doors and windows were locked. The main street was nearly empty, and the normally bustling market was quiet.Three days later, villagers have started to trickle back to their homes, walking the streets and shopping at the market - signs that normalcy is returning to the border.Chan Sok, a 42-year-old woman who fled shortly after the outbreak of fighting, told the Post that her family fled to Sra Em commune some 30 kilometres away because she feared that the border skirmishes could escalate into full-blown war."Even if I was in the bank, I was not confident I was safe," she said. Chan Sok had just moved her small business from the Poipet border to Kor Muoy village six months ago. "I was very frightened, and I thought that the fighting would just get more serious," she said.Yem Pheap, 44, stayed in Kor Muoy village because she could not afford the transportation costs out of the area."I was very afraid during the shooting, but I did not know where to go, and I did not have the money for transportation, so I had to risk staying here," she said.Chea Keo, the deputy commander of Military Region 4 stationed at the temple, told the Post that the situation was now calm along the border near Preah Vihear and that villagers could safely return to their homes.Prime Minister Hun Sen, following last Friday's cabinet meeting, appealed to people along the border to stay in their villages and to resume friendship with their Thai neighbours to ensure a good business climate."I would like to appeal to the people along the border to not be afraid. The situation along the border is under control," Hun Sen said. He also appealed to the villagers not to hoard goods or petrol because it was not necessary.

calls for a more positive dialogue

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:32:21 +1100

very interesting conversation thread started on the Nation’s ‘web-board’. among the postings are some of the calmest, most balanced oponions i’ve read on the net in the last week. same voices express their frustration at some of the nationalistic ideas posted on the forum.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/board/thaipol/view.php?id=1751&offset=0

letter from norodom sihanouk

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:45:35 +1100

writing from beijing the king’s father, norodom sihanouk, has offered to pay the family or spouse of any cambodian soldier killed in the border region US$1,000, and US$500 for those that suffer injury in combat. in a country where babies have been sold for less than $1,000 in recent years, the ‘cost’ of life remains all too low. it’s not inconceivable that this gesture might lead to one or two martyrs for the national cause.

dated 16th october 2008

an overview of the issue

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:34:05 +1100

for those readers unfamiliar with the background to the events of recent days, the following article provides a nice overview. i hope to be putting something longer together in coming days, but in the mean Time ..

Thai-Cambodian Border Spat Heats Up
Time Magazine
By HANNAH BEECH / BANGKOK Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008

Thai soldiers take position after clashes with Cambodian soldiers at the disputed border area of the Preah Vihear temple, Si Sa Ket province, Thailand, 15 October 2008

Gunfire crackled across the border between Thailand and Cambodia on October 15, reigniting tensions between the two Southeast Asian nations over a disputed swathe of land near an ancient Hindu temple. For days, troops from both countries have flooded the area near the Preah Vihar temple, and each side claims the other fired Wednesday's first shot.

The border dispute erupted in July after UNESCO awarded world-heritage status to the 900-year-old temple. It was built by ancient Khmers, the dominant ethnic group in Cambodia, who also constructed the famous Angkor Wat complex. Although the U.N. agency accepted Cambodia's sole claim of the site, Thailand believes that a stretch of land that is used to access the temple is rightfully its own. In 1962 the International Court of Justice ruled that the temple was in Cambodian territory, but it sidestepped the issue of the access route. For weeks in July and August, hundreds of soldiers faced off along the jungle border, occasionally taking potshots at each other, before talks between the two nations resulted in a troop withdrawal. Diplomatic overtures resumed this month but ended in a stalemate on October 13.

Both countries have used the temple row for political purposes. In his successful re-election bid this summer, Cambodian Premier Hun Sen vowed to protect national interests by ensuring that the entire Preah Vihear area remained under Cambodian control. Meanwhile, in Thailand, opposition figures accused former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej of destroying national sovereignty by not immediately protesting UNESCO's decision. Samak resigned last month, and his successor, who hails from the same political party, will surely be accused of similar weakness if Thailand's troops don't match Cambodian numbers. On Wednesday, Thailand's military T.V. network showed Thai tanks rumbling toward the border region, and one officer has said the country is prepared for war.

With tensions flaring, Thailand's Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat urged Thai citizens in Cambodia to leave immediately. The Thai Foreign Ministry has said it may airlift out Thai nationals, should they have trouble exiting Cambodia. For his part, Hun Sen has already vowed to make the Preah Vihar region a "death zone" if the Thai army doesn't back down. Given the historic enmities between the Khmer and Siamese empires, threats of violence aren't easily ignored. After all, the modern-day town near the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex is called Siem Reap, which in Khmer means "Siam defeated."

victims or champions?

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:08:29 +1100

its seems as though Khmertruth is not sure.
having watched the first one of these two below i cannot imagine, imagine, a more inappropriate soundtrack to the second video, both posted on youtube today. interestingly, youtube - its videos and comments pages - has rapidly emerged as another forum through which this conflict is being fought.

Sri Lanka: muslim fears of ‘Sinhalisation’

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:33:26 +1100

report recently published by the international crisis group highlights fears held by muslim communities living in the ampara region of sri lanka of a deliberate ‘sinhalisation’ programme by the government. while muslims make up 40% of ampara they hold a much smaller share of the land. according to the ICG’s report attempts by the government to encroach even further on the community’s land has centred on the ruins of the Shastraveli temples. moves to claim hundreds of acres of agricultural land around the ancient buddhist site have been effective in pushing out muslim farmers, many of whom have been cultivating the land for years.
the report also discusses the erection of a buddha statue in the same region in the post-tsunami period. this was seen by the muslim community as a hostile gesture and, again, linked to government attempts to redefine the ethno-religious nature of the space.

further details available at:
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5726&l=1

a virtual conflict

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:07:17 +1100

clearly this situation feeds perfectly into the agendas of the cambodian US community associated with KI media. easy to voice your enthusiasm for a war when you’re sitting behind a computer thousands of miles away. perhaps best described as frapuccino-machismo. and ignore the creative accounting.

posted yesterday at:
http://ki-media.blogspot.com/

these few days I have tried to contact my cousin and my cousin-in-law who are soldiers stationing at the Cambodian-Thai border in the front line. Luckily today, I got their numbers and called them.

I was supprised about the news they told me:
• Today's negotiation is absolutely negative and the fight will erupt again any time. And now both sides are preparing for war.
The true causalty on Wednesday exchange fire:
• The Cambodian side: 2 died and two wounded.
• The Thai side: 12 died, 10 captured, 5 wounded. He told me that the 12 killed Thais were blown out by B40. They were killed at the Eagle Field as they entered the field and opened fired and Cambodian soldiers just targeted them at the spot with repeated blasts.
He said that the Thai side have tried to negotiate until now to take back the bodies but were refused by the Cambodian commanders. The Thai have proposed the Cambodian not to publish the news about their dead soldiers and even the 10 captured. The Cambodia accept it as the condition to pressure the Thai. Note: I asked them about what presure and they said they don´t know because it the higher policy.

These are only what I have received today and I hope this news to be true. I will keep updating it if I get anything new from my relatives on the field.

United We Win!

phnom penh: thai residents already leaving

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:57:21 +1100

thai residents fearing re-occurrence of violence and rioting that happened 5 years ago after comments by thai actress, are already leaving cambodia. question is, how many will return, i’m sure they feel you can’t run a business on 5 year evacuation cycles.

article from phnom penh post

Border fighting spurs memories of anti-Thai violence five years ago

Written by Meas Sokchea and Thet Sambath
THURSDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2008

Thai nationals catch the first planes they can out of Cambodia as embassy closes and Thai foreign minister says his government is preparing an evacuation plan if the situation deteriorates
Photo by: AFP
Thai soldiers set up heavy artillery on the Thai-Cambodian border Wednesday, shortly before clashes broke out between the two sides. The violence has jolted Phnom Penh’s Thai community, forcing many to flee the country for fear of a repeat of the 2003 anti-Thai riots.
BUILDING border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand that finally exploded into fighting Wednesday have sparked fears of a repeat of anti-Thai violence five years ago, causing Thai citizens to again flee the country.An employee at the La Parranda Hotel in downtown Phnom Penh, where groups of Thais gathered Wednesday after the outbreak of clashes near Preah Vihear, said Thais had been leaving in droves since Tuesday."There's no special air transport for them. They just have been booking flights and leaving," the employee said."We are helping them to arrange and book tickets to go back," the employee added."Normally, I recognise many Thai guests who come here for breakfast and lunch, and now there is no one." One man standing in the hotel lobby who did not want to be named said he was part of a group of 20 Thai nationals waiting for flights out of Cambodia for fear that the fighting on the border would ignite anti-Thai sentiments in Phnom Penh."We all work together, so we are going back to Thailand together," he told the Post late Wednesday.You Vuthy, a security guard at the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, said the embassy was closed midafternoon and nonessential staff were sent home."There are only about 10 high-ranking officials left inside," he said. Outside, Cambodian riot police had been deployed against possible trouble.

We all work together, so we are going back to Thailand together.

"We think the Cambodian government will protect the embassy. It doesn't want a repeat of the anti-Thai riots," You Vuthy said.Thailand's foreign minister said Wednesday he was prepared to evacuate Thai citizens in Cambodia if warranted, in light of renewed fighting on their disputed common border."We have prepared an evacuation plan but we have to see how serious the situation is before the plan is executed," Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat said.Thai air force Group Captain Montol Suchookorn told AFP that transport planes were being prepared in case they were needed to evacuate Thai nationals from Cambodia.Thai nationals were last evacuated from Cambodia in January 2003, when Cambodian mobs went on rampages, burning the Thai embassy and destroying Thai-owned businesses around the capital, fueled by false rumours that a Thai pop starlet had claimed that Angkor Wat - one of the most important symbols in Cambodian society - belonged to Thailand.No one was killed, but the incident saw Cambodia's relations with its western neighbour plummet to their lowest levels in recent memory.A row over another temple has created the latest unrest between the two countries. The military standoff at Preah Vihear began in July, after the 11th-century temple was designated a Unesco World Heritage site, enraging Thai nationalists who claimed the ruins belong to Thailand and accused Bangkok of ceding land to Cambodia.Thailand's political opposition picked up on this anger in its push to drive out the government of then-prime minister Samak Sundaravej, who was forced to step down earlier this year, in part over the Preah Vihear dispute.The ensuing military buildup on the border reverberated throughout the Thai community in Phnom Penh earlier this year, with employees at several Thai-owned businesses saying their managers had gone back to Thailand.But the eruption of fighting Wednesday was the breaking point for many, both Thais and Cambodians.Cambodian migrant workers were reportedly fleeing back to their homeland, according to military officials on the border, while those inside the Kingdom's borders were also leaving their home villages near the border for fear of fighting."I came to Siem Reap Tuesday to escape because I felt scared," said Ean Lieng, who lives in the border town of O'Smach."Many other people are leaving as well. The people there are very scared," he told the Post.

conflict impacting angkor tourism

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:07:27 +1100

phnom penh post is already linking recent conflict with a downturn in tourism to angkor-siem reap. the following article appeared yesterday. the article does point to a number of factors including the current economic crisis, but confidently makes the correlation between the downturn and the border crisis. seems somewhat early to me, will have to look at it over coming 6-12 months to really see how much cambodia’s tourism industry is suffering because of this.

[for anyone travelling to siem reap, Weng, an old friend, is great value for a coffee and chat about the cambodian tourism industry.]

Thai political crisis depresses tourism trade in Siem Reap

Written by ERICA GOLDBERG
THURSDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2008

With most tourists arriving from Bangkok, Siem Reap tourism is hit hard by Thailand's political troubles, as well as global economic worriesSIEM REAP
Photo by: PETER OLSZEWSKI

Angkor Palace Resort and Spa general manager Weng Aow says his resort won’t be offering discounts despite a substantial decline in tourist arrivals.
THE world economic crisis coupled with the tumultuous political climate in Bangkok could profoundly affect tourism in Siem Reap, and the city's business leaders are re-evaluating their strategies.Pascal Deyrolle, general manager of La Residence d'Angkor hotel, said the imperiled stock market would affect some travellers, and the negative news coverage of the political situation in Thailand would have an immediate and direct effect on tourism.

"We had the temple, then we had the problems with the prime minister for three weeks, and now you have fighting in the streets," he said, "And because almost everyone flies to Siem Reap via Bangkok, it is our bloodline."Deyrolle, also vice president of the Cambodian Hotel Association and president of Siem Reap's division, said fewer vacationers coming to Siem Reap could have a snowball effect. "Flights will then be consolidated. This will make it even more difficult and expensive for people to come here, resulting in even fewer people."Declining international arrivals Ministry of Tourism figures show the number of travellers entering Siem Reap by air this year is already down by about 25,000 visitors compared with last year. Although there were more travellers entering Siem Reap by land and sea, and more business travellers entering Phnom Penh, a decrease in those coming to Siem Reap by air would affect higher-end hotels, Deyrolle said."Between the global crisis and Bangkok, now is not looking very flush," he said. "For the luxury hotels, the first and second quarters of the year may have been better than last year, but the third and fourth quarters can''t be, because we just don't have the people arriving from Siem Reap International Airport."

Angkor Palace Resort and Spa general manager Weng Aow said international arrivals have been steadily decreasing since April, compared with last year's numbers.He offered figures from the airport that show that international arrivals at Siem Reap dropped to 54,000 visitors in April, compared with last year's 57,000. In May, there were 44,000 international arrivals, a 3,000-visitor drop from a year ago. By June, there were 34,000 international arrivaIs, as compared with 43,000 in 2007, the biggest year-to-year decrease to date. In July, international arrivals dropped from 44,000 last year to 39,000 this year; in August, from 54,000 to 47,000; and in September, from 44,000 to 38,000.Some major hotels have yet to feel the effect of the downturn because many guests have booked package deals months in advance. But an increasing number of travellers are now booking online, and this decreases the lead time needed before planning holidays.Going with the flow"

We'll have to see whether these people decide to wait out the current economic situation and save their money," Deyrolle said. The economic unpredictability also concerns smaller operators. Charlie Kumar, manager of the tourist hot spot Angkor What? bar, said, "We'll have to go with the flow. This kind of business is always risky. We've got to keep our fingers crossed and hope everything goes well."Hotel de la Paix general manager Nick Downing said, "The natural flow is that the higher-end hotels are more insulated from economic fluctuations. Our supplier travel agencies are not expecting a major shift down."But if the temple issues continue to flare up, that could be a major problem for us. From our side, we'd like those issues to clear up and not be blown out of proportion either." Downing also asserts that even if high-end hotels don't suffer directly when it comes to bookings, the businesses won't be immune from what is happening around them.He said, "We can't be shut off from the community around us. If they struggle, we struggle. If the restaurants struggle and their quality suffers, our guests suffer, and it affects the whole country."

According to some hotel managers, travel agencies are beginning to panic because they reserve seats on flights to sell package deals, and now they cannot find customers. These agencies are looking for airlines and hotels to find ways to attract more customers, but there are no easy solutions. 'Lower rates won't help'Weng Aow believes that cutting costs is not the answer for hotels. "I think our hotel, and most of the bigger hotels, will be able to weather the current situation," he said. "We are more conscious of cost, but we do not engage in cost cutting that will compromise quality." Didier Lamoot, general manager of the Sofitel Phokeethra Royal Angkor, said that lowering hotel rates will not attract more guests to the higher-end hotels. "That's like telling Louis Vuitton to give rebates because we have an international crisis.

This is not a good sign to give to the market."We are in a situation that is incredible, and we must have the flexibility to change to get business. We must focus on every segment of the economy to get business." Lamoot also believes that an open-sky policy will create cheaper airfares into Siem Reap. The route from Bangkok to Siem Reap is dominated by a monopolist, which artificially increases the price of plane tickets. Deyrolle said hotels will now look for niche markets that aren't so adversely damaged by the stock market crash. "You need to go to the mega mega rich because that market can only go up."

world heritage: a concept in crisis?

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:36:14 +1100

it was never meant to be like this.

as the concept of world heritage emerged after the second world war, the overall aims of the movement were based on the idea of ‘never again’, and a realisation of the need to protect culture as a collective inheritance: one that could become a source of peace, of sharing, and a reason to reach across boundaries and frontiers to communicate. it was never meant to be about territories, aggressive nationalisms, or the abuse of minorities. and yet all too often in the intervening decades it has seemed the former has been overpowered by the latter.

the current situation on the thai, cambodian border is the latest in a long line of highly problematic situations. it’s not unique. but it does, once again, bring into sharp focus the validity of the whole concept of heritage and its current global management. throughout, Unesco, and the world heritage committee, felt deeply uneasy about the preah vihear nomination. i attended the committee meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2007, when the initial nomination was deferred. while it was formally recognised that an improved management plan was required, one committee member expressed to me ‘actually it is a problem we don’t quite know how to deal with, it’s a political minefield that might only get worse with world heritage nomination’.

the parallels between the reconstruction of europe in the aftermath of world war II and post-war cambodia are clearly evident. cultural reconstruction was, and is, meant to be so much more than the re-building of collapsed archways or carved sandstone sculptures. it was, and still is, also about rebuilding regional harmonies, a respect for one’s neigbours and a trust between populations. the case of preah vihear illustrates how cultural heritage in southeast asia not only acts as a focal point for inflaming hostilities and enmities, but also, i would argue, serves as a foundational stone upon which these feelings firmly sit.

i have argued for a long time that the overwhelming focus on ancient temple architecture - as the focal point of a post-conflict identity - is fueling an unhealthy nationalism in cambodia. thailand walks a similar path. as elsewhere in the world, cultural heritage in southeast asia is a far from benign, apolitical, sector of society. preah vihear’s location, right on the border, makes it appear a ‘unique case’ or at best ‘highly unusual’. that may be so, but i would also suggest it speaks of a problem that runs much deeper across the region. one that demands we rethink how we deal with, and frame, the past today.

Tim Winter

hun sen: its a life - and death - battle zone

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:34:26 +1100

various reports here trace the escalation in recent days, including very inflammatory rhetoric by the cambodian prime minister hun sen.

heritage in asia: papers and poster

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:08:50 +1100

significant progress is being made with the upcoming heritage in asia conference, to be held in singapore 08-10th jan 09. we received in excess of 220 abstracts and selected around 75. we were greatly encouraged by the thematic and geographical scope of the proposals submitted - clearly the call for papers resonated with a lot of people, which is good news.

the conference poster is now being printed, and e-version is also now available for download here. a big thanks to willem paling for his assistance in designing it.

below are the current list of accepted papers:

List of Accepted Abstracts

Community Participation in Sustainable Heritage Conservation: Integrating ‘Sense Of Place’ and Participatory Conservation to Save the Heritage of Old Dhaka
Iftekhar AHMED - National University of Singapore

The Leadership’s Attitude towards Tradition in the Post-Tiananmen China
Jiawen Ai - University of Melbourne, Australia

Dancing To Conflicting Rhythms: A Case Study of the Leyte Dance Theater, A Premier Dance Company in the Philippines, and How It Balances Modern Artistic Expression and Cultural Respect Towards Indigenous Traditions
Arjay Abarientos ARELLANO - University of the Philippines, Philippines

Blood and Barricade in Mendiola: Memory, Heritage and Narrative
Joel Fajardo ARIATE Jr. - University of the Philippines-Diliman

The Contribution of Built Cultural Heritage to Quality of Life in a Third World City and Its Implications to Urban Policies Towards Sustainable Development
Sigit D. ARIFWIDODO - Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
Ranjith PERERA - Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand

Widening the Perception of Values
Amita Baig - Heritage Management Consultant, India

The Singapore Cottage in Australia: Exported, Adapted, Layered, Conserved and Interpreted
Roger BEESTON - Director, RBA Architects & Conservation Consultants, Australia

NESCO and the Politics of Nostalgia in Luang Prabang (Lao PDR)
David Berliner - Laboratoire d’Anthropologie des Mondes Contemporains Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium

Strengthening Local Government Units (LGUs): Post-Disaster Preservation of Local Communities in the Philippines
Pilar Preciousa P. Berse - Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines

Performing Identity, Shaping Heritage: Wayang Puppet Theatre and the Dynamics of Heritage Formation in Contemporary Indonesia
Sadiah BOONSTRA - VU University in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Intangible Cultural Heritage as Sites for Peacebuilding
Birgit Bräuchler - University of Frankfurt, Germany

'Great-Grandfather the Towkay': Early Pioneers and Family History in Singapore
Donna Maree BRUNERO - Independent Scholar, Singapore

Rethinking Relationships: World Heritage, Visitors and the Tourism Industry
Robyn BUSHELL - University of Western Sydney, Australia

Sacred Sites in the Context of Asian Modernity
Denis BYRNE - Dept of Environment and Climate Change, Australia

Title to be advised
Franco Alessandro Cavalleri - CSST – Developmental Studies, Italy

From Nostalgia to Urbanism: Towards a New Strategy for Cultural Heritage Conservation in the 21st Century Taiwan
Chao-Ching FU - National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

Railway Heritage in Asia: Restoration, Regeneration and Revitalization
Ian CHAPLIN - Macau Polytechnic Institute, Macau, China
Vivian Felicio Chaplin - University of Macau, China

The Product of Policy: Theatre in the Time of Globalization - A Case-Study of the Universal Declaration of Cultural Diversity
Anita Elizabeth Cherian
University of Delhi, India

Reclaimining Hong Kong’s Urban Heritage in the Aftermath of the Star Ferry Debacle
Thomas CHUNG
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

“Other People Are … Not People!”: Heritage, Memory, Identity, Rights and Minority Mapping*
Ian Leonard COOK - 3CS AsiaPacific, Sydney, Australia

Khmer Heritage and Khmer Ethnic Identity in Thailand: Constructing the Ethnic Khmer as Bearers of Thailand’s Khmer Heritage
Alexandra DENES - Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Thailand

Wooden Architecture in India: Aesthetics, Form and Constructional Logic of a Threatened Genre
Miki Desai - CEPT University, India

Title to be advised
Patrick Daly - National University of Singapore

Title to be advised
Richard ENGELHARDT - UNESCO

Conserving Heritage in Manggarai District: Consumption or Production, Ritual or Performance?
Maribeth Erb - National University of Singapore
Wiwak Mahdayani - National University of Singapore

Heritage, Modernity and Post-colonial Issues
Prarthna Gahilote - CNN-IBN (Media network house), India

National Memoryscape, Urban Landscape: The Ichigawa Memorial Hall in Cosmopolitan Tokyo
Jung-Sun N. HAN - Hanyang University, Korea

Conserving the Past through Play: Educational Gaming and Anti-Looting Outreach in Cambodia
Damien Huffer - Australian National University, Australia

A Tale of Two Towers: ‘World Heritage’ Preservation of the Guia Lighthouse in Macau and its Postcolonial Struggles
HSU, Szu-Yun - The London School of Economics and Political Science, Taiwan

Adaptive Worth, Accentuated Valuation and Price Difference: Critical Perspectives on Architectural Heritage of the ‘Natives’ in Singapore and Padang
Imran Bin Tajudeen - National University of Singapore

Title to be advised
Nobuku INABA - University of Tsukuba, Japan

Political Economy of Heritage: A Case of One Village One Product Movement
Sanae ITO - Nagoya University, Japan

Democratizing “Heritage”Reproduction and Change in the Market for Symbolic Capital
Marshall Johnson - University of Wisconsin-Superior

The Most International of Arts: Immersive Digital Heritage and Histories of Representation
Sarah Kenderdine - Melbourne Museum, Victoria, Australia

Memory War, History Textbooks and Reconciliation in Northeast Asia
Mikyoung Kim - Hiroshima Peace Institute/Hiroshima City University, Japan

Heritage as Mechanism of Social Exclusion: Vedas in India
Kumbhojkar Shraddha - Tilak Maharashtra University, India

Western Conservation Theory and the Asian Context
Timoticin KWANDA - National University of Singapore

Nationhood, Western Modernity and Living the China Dream: A Case Study of Ethnic Chinese Singaporeans from a Western Multinational Corporation in Developmental State Singapore
Daphnée LEE - Australian National University, Australia

Implementation of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003): Limitations and the Role of Cultural Rights— The Example of Angkor
Georgina LLOYD - University of Sydney Robert Christie Research Centre

Title to be advised
William LOGAN - Deakin University, Australia

Heritage for Whom? Leprosy, Memory and Modernity in Singapore
Loh Kah Seng - Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, Australia

Sudden “Nostalgia”: Heritage and Urban Development in Post-Colonial Hong Kong
Tracey L-D Lu - Chinese University of Hong Kong

The Ensnared History of Architecture: The Neo-Tang in the Present Development Project of the Ancient City of Xi’an (Shaanxi)
Bruno Fayolle LUSSAC - Architecture Historian and Archaeologist

Sustainable Lessons of Iranian Traditional Buildings - Case Study: Tabatabayi house, Kashan, Iran
Vida MAKANI - Faculty of Ghodsiye Technical College, Iran

Japanese—Destroyer, Creator, or Friend of Taiwan’s Heritage ? Hiroko MATSUDA - Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan

Monuments as Victims of War and Symbols of Reconciliation: Socio-Political Implications in Cultural Heritage Management in Sri Lanka
Bilinda D. Nandadeva - University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Protecting and Preserving Industrial Heritage in Asia: Conflicts and Challenges - A case study of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), The First Asian Industrial Heritage Site
Subrata NATH - Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, India
Yasmin KHAN

Erasing An Industrial Past From Post-Colonial Presents: Industrial Heritage in Macau SAR, China
ONG Chin Ee - Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao

Museums, Myths, and Aesthetics: Of Technological Pasts and the Present
D. PARTHASARATHY - Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore

Negotiating the Meaning of “Heritage”: As Seen From Two Worship Sites Sharing the Same Name in Vietnam
Phan Phuong Hao - Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam

Impossible Memories: The Place of Artefacts
Anoma PIERIS & Rachel HUGHES - University of Melbourne, Australia

Awakening Community Awareness of Heritage Through Cultural Mapping: Case Study in George Town, Penang
Janet PILLAI - University Sains Malaysia, Penang

Who Owns?: Case Study of Kattas Raj Temples, Pakistan
Rao Nadeem Alam - University of Vienna, Austria

Reconstructing Memories Through Disseminating Heritage: A Case Study of Interactive Virtual Model - Sompur Mahavihara
Mizanur Rashid - National University of Singapore

Identification of World Heritage Sites in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Lessons Learned and Directions for Future Research
Maharaj Vijay Reddy - Bournemouth University, UK

Rethinking Approaches to Sustainable Heritage Tourism in Asia and the Pacific Region
Keir Reeves - University of Melbourne, Australia

The World’s, Asia’s, Indonesia’s, or Ours? Imaging and Imagining Heritage in Good and Bad Times
Noel B. Salazar - University of Leuven, Belgium

Preserving Heritage in Conflict Situation: A Study of Srinagar City in Jammu and Kashmir
Seema Shekhawat - University of Mumbai, India

Tangible or Intangible? Heritage and Authenticity in Contemporary China
Robert Shepherd - George Washington University, USA

Heritage and Temple-towns in India: Problems and Prospects
Kiran Shinde - University of New England, Australia

Transnationalising Industrial Heritage Valorisations: Addressing their Dark Sides in Europe and Asia
Dietrich SOYEZ - The University of Cologne, Germany
LI Leilei - Shenzhen University, Guangdong, P.R. China

Urban Heritage and the Recovery of Post Disaster Livelihoods in Historic Centers of Cities from Developing Countries - A Case in Yangon CBD
Su SU & Richard STILES - Vienna University of Technology, Austria

The Business of Heritage in Singapore: Money, Politics & Identity
Kevin Y.L. TAN - National University of Singapore

Landscapes of the Vernacular and Everyday Heritage as Setting
Ken TAYLOR - Australian National University, Australia

Revisiting Heritage, Tourism and Modernity: Conflicting Perceptions in Development
Polladach Theerapappisit - University of Western Sydney, Australia

The Reconstruction of Oriental Identity through Buddhist Heritage: The Study of Indian Cave Temples, Its Reaction and Interpretation in Asian Countries from the 19th Century till Today
Aki TOYOYAMA - Kansai University, Osaka, Japan

Hyletics of Tradition and Modernity in Asian Heritage
Sandra Uskokovic - University of Dubrovnik, Croatia

Asymmetries of Time and Voice: A Sino-Ecological Case Study
Jerry A. Varsava - University of Alberta, Canada

Containing Cultural Diversity: Museums, Ethnic Minorities and Nation Building in the Yunnan Province of China
Marzia Varutti - Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, UK

Conservation, Restoration and Authenticity: The teaching and Implementation of Conservation in Taiwan Gordon TURNER-WALKER - National Yunlin University of Science & Technology, Taiwan Ulrich WEILHAMMER - Weilhammer-Conservation Studios, Germany

War and Revolution as National Heritage: “Red Tour” in China
Horng-luen WANG - Academia Sinica, Taiwan

Heritage and Nationalism: City Planning In North Shanghai, 1930 - 2008
Anne Warr - Shanghai, China

Title to be advised
Johannes WIDODO - National University of Singapore

Heritage in Asia: towards a new analytical paradigm
Tim WINTER - University of Sydney, Australia

Bequesting a Heritage: The Armenians and Singapore
Nadia Wright - University of Melbourne, Australia

Rehabilitating the Banaue Rice Terraces: Reconciling Conservation and Development
Joyce Iris S. ZAIDE - National University of Singapore

Transformation of the Sacred: The Commodification, Politicization and Globalization of Buddhist Heritage Tourism in Communist China Today
Dong ZHAO - Beijing Foreign Studies University, China

the real irony of all this...

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:20:29 +1100

is tourism. part of the root of this whole problem relates to preah vihear’s potential as a tourist destination. all the major pre-modern architectural sites in southeast asia provide huge amounts of revenue for their host governments. controlling the land around the site, along with access routes, ticketing and the management of concessions around preah vihear has been one of the key causes of friction between the two governments in recent years. the importance of preah vihear is not just political and historic, its now economic too. the current surge in tourism at angkor vividly illustrates these converging forces.
and of course, if there is one thing that scares tourists away, its armed violence. neither country will win from this situation. in fact, while cambodia might have secured the right to claim preah vihear as her own, she could well end up being the biggest loser here. it is a country that has struggled to shake off its persistent image as a place of war and genocide. effective as it is, hun sen’s use of preah vihear as a trigger for stoking an aggressive nationalism will, however, be highly detrimental to the country’s tourism industry. the royal government of cambodia desperately needs to continue building its inbound tourism industry for the entire country. events like this are therefore extremely counter-productive for the country’s economic development and plans for poverty alleviation

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls for restraint

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:54:21 +1100

Bloomberg asia is reporting today’s response by Ban Ki-moon to the preah vihear issue:

Thai, Cambodian Troops Must Show Restraint on Border, Ban Says
By Daniel Ten Kate and Ed Johnson

Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Thailand and Cambodia to resolve their border dispute peacefully after two soldiers were reportedly killed in clashes yesterday.
Both sides must ``exercise the utmost restraint'' and hold talks, Ban's office said in a statement late yesterday. The U.S. State Department echoed his call.
The violence yesterday came a day after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen warned Thailand to remove its troops from the disputed border area near the Preah Vihear temple, a UN World Heritage Site. Thailand said it would ``exercise its right of self-defense'' if fired upon.
Two Cambodian soldiers died in the fighting and two were wounded, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the country's foreign minister, Hor Namhong. Military officials from both countries will meet in Thailand today to discuss troop levels and weaponry, AFP said.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called on the Southeast Asian neighbors to ``refrain from any use of violence or any provocation'' and to resolve their differences ``via political channels.''
In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled in a 9-3 vote that Cambodia had sovereignty over Preah Vihear.
The conflict over land near the site started in June, when Thailand agreed to support Cambodia's bid to list the Hindu temple as a protected UN monument. A nationalist Thai group opposed the move, prompting the government to withdraw support for the UN listing.
Military Standoff
Tensions between the countries worsened in July after Thai troops entered the disputed area around Preah Vihear, prompting a military standoff that almost went before the UN Security Council. The countries agreed to withdraw troops on July 29, though subsequent meetings failed to produce a lasting resolution.
Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat described yesterday's exchange of gunfire as a ``small clash'' and called for negotiations. He said earlier this week the conflict could be resolved through an existing committee set up by the neighbors to demarcate the border.
State-run Thai Airways International Pcl may help evacuate 1,000 Thais from the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, if the situation worsens, said Tharit Charungvat, a spokesman for Thailand's Foreign Ministry. Another 500 Thais live in Siem Reap, near Angkor Wat temple, he said.
After the clashes ended yesterday, Cambodian and Thai officials released statements blaming each other for the fighting, AFP reported.
``Cambodia strongly protests against these repeated and very serious armed provocations by Thailand which would lead to large scale armed hostilities between the two countries,'' Hor Namhong said in a statement.
``We were not the first to fire the shots,'' Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit said.
Lieutenant General Wiboonsak Neeparn, the army commander for northeastern Thailand, said five Thai soldiers were injured, AFP reported.

original article available at: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aJQ5l0oLpMI0&refer=asia

more troops travelling to border

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:31:14 +1100

Singaporean based Channel News Asia reporting that more thai troops are on the way to the border

reporting on the reporting on the....

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:44:42 +1100

below is an article clipped from the Khmer intelligence website, KI Media, - one of the active sites of the US cambodian diaspora. they have in turn clipped an article from the BBC southeast asia correspondent, Jonathan Head, which offers an overview of the current tension. as a very active player in contemporary articulations of cambodian nationalism KI media have highlighted this story as an important recognition of their cause. i have preserved their red highlighting and expanded fonts, which clearly illustrates how they feel Head’s article validates their position.

Thursday, October 16, 2008
Modern conflict near ancient ruins

Wednesday, 15 October 2008 BBC News
"Thais are often surprisingly ignorant of the role they have played in wounding Cambodia's national pride."
A long-running border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has just flared up, with soldiers exchanging shots for the first time. The BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head looks at what caused this escalation of tension.

At the end of a day when two Cambodian soldiers were killed, several wounded on both sides, and 10 Thai soldiers reportedly taken prisoner, the language cooled down.

Instead of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's threat of all-out war, to turn the area around the disputed Preah Vihear temple into a "zone of death", there was a statement from Foreign Minister Hor Namhong describing the shootout as "an incident between soldiers, not an invasion", a problem that could be solved.

And from the Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat: "Cambodia is a good neighbour. We will use peaceful means".

So perhaps a war over a tiny sliver of scrubby hillside can be avoided after all.

It would surely be in no-one's interests to let the conflict get out of hand.

Thailand and Cambodia share a common culture, an 800km (500 mile) border, trade and investment worth billions of dollars and membership of Asean, the Association of South East Asian Nations that prides itself on harmonious relations among its member states.

Cliff-top temple

But why have relations fallen this far?

The spark was Cambodia's successful bid to have Preah Vihear listed as a World Heritage site in July.

The 900-year-old Hindu temple had been judged to be on the Cambodian side of the border in 1962 by the International Court of Justice, a decision that has always rankled with Thailand.

It sits at the top of a cliff, and is still only easily accessible from the Thai side.

But the decades of conflict in Cambodia delayed any practical decisions on the temple, which for years was a stronghold of Khmer Rouge guerrillas and littered with landmines.

As peace returned to Cambodia in the 1990s, the government in Phnom Penh started to focus on restoring the country's rich Hindu-Buddhist heritage, and its potential to attract tourists.

The magnificent temple complex of Angkor Wat won World Heritage status in 1992.

But repeated attempts to get the same status for Preah Vihear were blocked, apparently by Thailand.

The Thais argued that while the ICJ had awarded the temple to Cambodia, it had not ruled on the surrounding land, which also contains a number of important archaeological sites connected to the temple.

Only a joint Thai-Cambodian World Heritage site made sense, it argued.

Thailand dropped its objection this year, a decision that enraged Thai nationalists.

They accused the government of changing its stance to accommodate the extensive Cambodian business interests of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose party dominated the cabinet.

The foreign minister who negotiated a joint agreement with Cambodia, Noppadol Pattama, had once been Mr Thaksin's lawyer. He was forced to resign in July.

But the damage had been done. A hard-line anti-government movement, the People's Alliance for Democracy, used the issue to mobilise mass demonstrations, contributing to the political upheavals that are still shaking Thailand today.

Khmer legacy

But what about Cambodia? Why is it so strident on the issue?

In part it is driven by historic rivalry between the two countries, in part by more recent friction.

The ancient Khmer civilisation that built Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear dominated this region for five centuries.

Thais used the issue in anti-government protests

It profoundly influenced Thai culture - there are many famous Khmer-style temples in Thailand. And it is a source of immense pride to modern-day Cambodia, which is recovering from decades of national trauma.

Nationalism is an easily inflamed emotion, in a country which has little to be proud of in its recent history.

Thais are often surprisingly ignorant of the role they have played in wounding Cambodia's national pride.

In the Cambodian view, successive Thai invasions helped destroy the once mighty Khmer empires, and rendered the country defenceless against French colonial conquest in the 19th Century.

Thailand then took advantage of the chaos during World War II to occupy large chunks of western Cambodia, including the ruins of Angkor Wat - it was forced to hand them back when the war ended.

The Thai military often treated Cambodian refugees who fled the civil wars of the 1970s and 80s very harshly - and Thailand backed the remnants of the Khmer Rouge in their struggle against the Vietnamese occupation, so helping prolong the civil war.

Storm of condemnation

There is of course a very different Thai perspective on these events. But they have left a deep pool of resentment in its smaller and much poorer neighbour that is easily exploited by its leaders.

And Hun Sen has proved very ready to do just that. Five years ago anti-Thai riots broke out in Phnom Penh after a Thai actress was misquoted as saying Angkor Wat should rightly belong to Thailand.

Hun Sen was widely blamed for stirring up nationalist sentiments then. He seems to be doing the same now.

On the Thai side, whatever the current government's real inclinations, it cannot afford to be seen to back down.

Somchai Wongsawat is already battling a storm of condemnation over the way the police dealt with anti-government protests earlier this month.

As Thaksin Shinawatra's brother-in-law, any concessions he makes to Cambodia will arouse suspicions that he is serving the interests of his family before those of the country.

It is hard to see this conflict being settled quickly.

posted on: http://ki-media.blogspot.com/