VZCZCXRO2417
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0505/01 2021301
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211301Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0963
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0715

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000505 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
BANGKOK PASS TO S TRAVELING PARTY 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, P, D, IO 
PARIS PLEASE PASS TO US MISSION TO UNESCO - S. ENGELKEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KTIA SCUL UNESCO CB
SUBJECT: CAMBODIA SEEKS SUPPORT FOR BID TO JOIN UNESCO 
WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE 
 
REF: PHNOM PENH 406 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary of 
State Long Visalo July 20 appealed for United States support 
of the bid by the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to join 
the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC).  Cambodia will 
stand in an election for the one open East Asia and Pacific 
seat on the 21-member WHC at the UNESCO General Conference in 
October.  Long Visalo cited Cambodia's participation in 
UNESCO since the 1992 inscription of Angkor Wat on the World 
Heritage List, Cambodia's deep cultural heritage, and its 
growing experience on the Angkor Wat International 
Coordination Committee since 1993 as reasons to support the 
candidacy.  This would be Cambodia's first time to sit on the 
WHC and represents another attempt to seek legitimacy in the 
international community.  Passing a letter from Prime 
Minister Hun Sen addressed to the President, Long Visalo 
asked for the continued strong support of the U.S. Government 
seen in the inscription of the ancient Preah Vihear temple 
(Reftel) and for its vote.  Full text of the diplomatic note 
and attached letter from Prime Minister Hun Sen to the 
President is reproduced in paras 6-7.  Embassy will deliver 
the letter to the Desk via registered pouch. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Noting that Cambodia had more than 1000 ancient 
Khmer temples, Long Visalo told A/DCM that the RGC revered 
its deep culture and had tried to preserve its heritage 
dating back hundreds of years.  In the Khmer language's deep 
roots, in Cambodia's unique royal ballet dance, and in the 
cherished history of shadow puppets could be seen a 
commitment to the preservation of cultural heritage. 
Cambodia's establishment of and participation in the 
International Cooperation Committee (ICC) for Angkor Wat 
since 1993 was another valuable experience that could be 
depended on in the WHC, he said. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) During the process that led up to the July 2008 
inscription of Preah Vihear temple on Cambodia's northern 
Dangrek Range, the U.S. had shown itself to be a steady 
friend of Cambodia, Long Visalo added.  Since then, Cambodia 
had shown itself to be a cooperative member in the UN, 
committed to the peaceful resolution under international law 
of ongoing dispute over the border with Thailand near Preah 
Vihear temple.  Now the U.S. could once again throw its 
support behind Cambodia and cast a vote for Cambodia as the 
East Asia and Pacific Islands group candidate at the WHC, he 
concluded. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  When asked, Long Visalo mentioned that Indonesia 
had shown a serious interest in promoting its candidacy for 
the same single seat on the WHC in the EAPI region.  He 
expressed less certainty about the potential candidacy of 
Thailand, rumors about which he had heard but which he could 
not confirm.  (NOTE:  Both Thailand and Indonesia have 
reportedly served on the WHC before. This would be a first 
for Cambodia. END NOTE.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  A/DCM told the MFA Secretary of State that the 
request would be conveyed to Washington, although it was 
often the case that the U.S. did not discuss candidacies in 
advance of votes with other UN members. 
 
¶6.  BEGIN TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE: 
 
No. 1013 OI/MFA-IC 
 
COMPLIMENTARY OPENING 
 
...has the honor to enclose herewith a letter dated 8 July 
2009 of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime 
Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, addressed to H.E. Barack 
¶H. Obama, President of the United States of America. 
 
      The Ministry would be very grateful if the Embassy 
could kindly forward the enclosed message to its high 
destination. 
 
COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE 
 
Phnom Penh, 20 July 2009 
 
END TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE 
 
 
¶7.  BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT: 
 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000505  002 OF 002 
 
 
Phnom Penh, 08 July 2009 
 
H.E. Barack H. Obama 
President of the United States of America 
Washington 
 
Your Excellency, 
 
I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the Kingdom 
of Cambodia, State Party to the Convention of 1972 concerning 
the protection of cultural and natural World Heritage intends 
to present its candidacy for a seat on the World Heritage 
Committee during the upcoming Session of the General 
Conference in October 2009. 
 
The Royal Government is seeking to actively increase our 
engagement with the international community in order to 
contribute to the preservation and sustainable development of 
world heritage and culture.  Following the listing of the 
Angkor (sic) on the World Heritage List in 1992, Cambodia,s 
engagement has increased significantly, particularly in the 
last ten years with the listing of the Royal Ballet in 2003, 
the Shadow Theatre in 2005 and the Temple of Preah Vihear in 
¶2008. 
 
There are a number of reasons why Cambodia is submitting its 
candidacy for the Committee for the first time.  These 
reasons include the importance of the Khmer heritage and its 
fame around the world; the great success of the international 
action at Angkor with the work of the International 
Coordination Committee (ICC), which has been supported by 
UNESCO since 1993; and the increasing affirmation of our 
commitment to conservation and sustainable development. 
According to the friends of our country, all of these reasons 
justify why the Kingdom of Cambodia should serve as a member 
of the World Heritage Committee. 
 
The relations of mutual respect and friendship that the 
Kingdom of Cambodia is proud to have with your country, lead 
us to hope that you will support our candidacy and vote 
accordingly. 
 
Soliciting officially your support and your vote, I wish, 
Your Excellency, to express my heartfelt gratitude and to 
assure you of my highest consideration. 
 
Prime Minister 
 
Hun Sen (signature) 
 
Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN 
 
END TEXT OF LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  COMMENT: Having secured membership in ASEAN in 
1999 and as one of the first least developed countries to 
join the World Trade Organization in 2004, Cambodia continues 
to seek legitimacy in this and other world fora. Cambodia's 
candidacy for the WHC should stand on its own merits. 
However, on another front, given a recent move to  use court 
defamation cases to check dissent, we should not hesitate to 
underline the RGC's quest for legitimacy within the 
international community, and to appeal for more civil 
political discourse as Cambodia goes through an apparent 
cyclical downturn in its overall political climate, including 
the narrowing of protections for freedoms of speech and press. 
RODLEY