KHMER TIMES Sun, February 21, 2021

Tourists visit Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province. KT/Khem Sovannara

PHNOMPENH – Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to France, Ket Sophann has recently sent a letter to Ms. Caroline Monnot, Editor of Le Monde, expressing his regret over the newspaper’s article of Feb. 13.

“Following the article published by Le Monde on Feb. 13, 2021 by Ms. Florence Évin and entitled ‘In Cambodia, the Temples of Angkor threatened by an amusement park’, I would like to be granted a right of reply, in my capacity as Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to France,” wrote the Cambodian ambassador in his letter dated Feb. 18.

“The article of Feb. 13, 2021 by Ms. Florence Évin suggests Hun Sen, Prime Minister, and the Royal Government of Cambodia would be ready to lose the place held by the Angkor site on the World Heritage list of the Unesco for the profit of a private amusement park. I very much regret that the newspaper Le Monde opens its columns to such a false assertion, to technical lies and to manipulations of public opinion,” he continued.

The Ambassador recalled the responsibility of the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) in the management of the Angkor sites, underlining that this committee is co-chaired by France and Japan. CIC is informed of all investment files and this is no exception. The CIC will take a decision, as had been planned for a long time, at its next plenary meeting on the files in progress. Ms. Évin had plenty of time to question the French authorities and could thus have dispensed with her disagreement with Cambodians.

“Attentive reader of your newspaper, I very much regret this sad affair due to interests which escape common sense or obscure objectives while this file is treated in full transparency by the competent authorities, including French ones,” said  Sophann. C. Nika – AKP

https://bit.ly/3aET4DZ

SOURCE: KHMER TIMES, CAMBODIA  Sun, February 21, 2021

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