Royal Thai Army plays down Google Maps showing Prasat Ta Muen Thom as being in Cambodia
BANGKOK: The Royal Thai Army's spokesman on Wednesday (July 2) sought to allay public concern after Google Maps marked Prasat Ta Muen Thom as being within Cambodia's borders, raising fears that Thailand could lose the site and its surrounding territory.
RTA spokesman Major General Winthai Suvari said that map boundaries shown on Google Maps carry no legal weight, and Thailand has consistently exercised sovereignty over the ancient Khmer site.
Thailand considers the temple to be located within its territory, specifically in Ban Nong Khanna, Tambon Ta Mueang, Phanom Dong Rak district of Surin province.
Following the border skirmish near Chong Bok Pass in Ubon Ratchathani on May 28, Cambodia filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), claiming ownership of Prasat Ta Muen Thom, two other Khmer temples, and the Emerald Triangle. Thailand responded by affirming that all four sites are within Thai territory and declared it does not recognise the ICJ's jurisdiction in the case, rendering the lawsuit ineffective.
After the case was filed, several Thai social media users noticed that Google Maps had altered the border near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, showing the Cambodian boundary extending to include the temple.
Winthai said many Thais feared that Cambodia had manipulated the map to fabricate evidence and create public confusion, implying that the temple was in Cambodia and that Thailand had encroached on Cambodian territory.
However, he explained that Google Maps relies on data from private sources, which is often inaccurate. He emphasised that the boundaries shown on Google Maps hold no legal status under either Thai or international law.
He also noted that Thai citizens may submit requests to Google Maps to correct the inaccurate boundary.
'I would like to affirm that Thailand has maintained continuous sovereignty over Prasat Ta Muen Thom. This is supported by geographical evidence and ongoing administrative presence by Thai authorities,' Winthai said. - The Nation/ANN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
European companies urge EU to delay AI rules
BRUSSELS: Dozens of Europe's biggest companies urged the EU to hit the pause button on its landmark AI rules on Thursday, warning that going too fast could harm the bloc's ability to lead in the global AI race. The European Union's sweeping rules on artificial intelligence entered into force last year but the bloc has since pivoted to strengthening its industries in the face of fierce competition from China and the United States. The new US administration under President Donald Trump has also taken aim at the rules. Vice President JD Vance in February lambasted the EU over 'excessive' regulation. Now, 46 top executives including from France's Airbus and Mistral, Dutch tech giant ASML and Germany's Lufthansa and Mercedes-Benz are calling on Brussels to reassess the rules. They accused the EU's complex regulation of putting 'Europe's AI ambitions at risk, as it jeopardises not only the development of European champions, but also the ability of all industries to deploy AI at the scale required by global competition'. The CEOs urged the European Commission to propose a two-year pause and for 'further simplification of the new rules' for which a code of practice has yet to be released. The pause, the CEOs said, should apply to obligations on general-purpose AI models -- like OpenAI's ChatGPT -- and high-risk AI systems that were due to take effect in August 2025 and August 2026 respectively. The EU's law takes a risk-based approach to the technology. The higher the risk to Europeans' rights or health, for example, the greater the systems' obligations to protect individuals from harm. The EU has been working on the long-delayed code to provide guidance on how the rules should apply to general-purpose AI models, including Google's Gemini and Mistral's Le Chat. There are expectations that the code will be watered down and the commission has said it will be published before the rules on GPAI models kick in next month. AFP has a deal with Mistral allowing its chatbot to draw on the agency's articles to formulate responses. – AFP
The Sun
42 minutes ago
- The Sun
US aircraft carrier makes Philippines port call
MANILA: The nuclear-powered US carrier George Washington arrived off the Philippine capital Thursday for a port visit, as the two allies increase defence cooperation aimed at contesting China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea. The Nimitz-class vessel's port call came the same day that China's first domestically produced aircraft carrier, the Shandong, sailed into Hong Kong. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, through which more than 60 percent of global maritime trade passes, despite an international ruling its assertion has no merit. 'The US Navy along with our allies and partners are committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific,' the ship's spokesman, Lieutenant-Commander Mark Langford, told AFP by email, without offering further details about the visit. 'These operations demonstrate the commitment to stability in the region, a commitment we uphold throughout the year and regardless of current events,' Langford said, calling the Philippines a 'long-standing and critical ally'. Manila and Washington have deepened their cooperation since President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on Beijing's South China Sea claims. Bound by a 1951 mutual defence treaty, the two allies conduct frequent maritime exercises in the South China Sea. The Philippine and US coast guards in May conducted their first-ever joint military drills in the archipelago nation's coastal waters. The Shandong, which sailed off the northern Philippines in April, arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday after concluding combat drills in the western Pacific alongside fellow Chinese aircraft carrier the Liaoning. The US Department of Defense said in a December report that China numerically has the largest navy in the world, with a battle force of more than 370 ships and submarines. – AFP
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
India says successor to 14th Dalai Lama can only be chosen by established conventions
NEW DELHI: India on Thursday (July 3) dismissed China's asseration that any successor to the 14th Dalai Lama will need Beijing's approval, stating that the decision regarding his successor lies solely with the Dalai Lama and the established conventions. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who is representing the Indian government at the event to celebrate Dalai Lama's 90th birthday in Dharamshala, said the Dalai Lama holds a deeply significant position not only for Tibetans but also for millions of his followers around the world, and the decision regarding his successor lies solely with the Tibetan spiritual leader. Rijiju, who is himself a practicising Buddhist, stressed that the Dalai Lama is the 'most important and defining institution' of the Buddhist community worldwide and his Incarnation will be decided by the established convention. Rijiju's remarks come after China's objection to the Dalai Lama's official announcement that the 600-year-old institution of a spritual head of the Buddhist community will continue and that the successor to the 14th Dalai Lama will be chosen by the Gaden Phodrang Trust. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, had clearly stated that Beijing had no authority to interfere in the decision. 'I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,' the Dalai Lama had said in an official statement. Reacting to the announcement, China said the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must be approved by the Chinese government. 'The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama and other great Buddhist figures must be chosen by drawing lots from a golden urn, and approved by the central government,' Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday. - The Statesman/ANN
