It is the first time Cambodia have been voted to one of 21 permanent member of World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in 17th general assembly in Paris from Oct 23 to 28, 2009, representing 186 countries in the world.

Speaking in graduation ceremony of a university in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s prime minister Hun Sen said that “it is a new pride for our country that became fully permanent member of the World Heritage Committee,” adding that “it will promote the image and prestige of the Kingdom of Cambodia on the world arena.”

Membership to the committee allows Cambodia a vote in deciding which cultural and historic sites make the annual World Heritage List, and also gives the country a say in how the World Heritage Fund allocates money for the preservation of historic sites, according to the Daily.

Chuch Phoeung, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and chairman of the Preah Vihear Authority, said that committee membership would make it easier for Cambodia to get its national treasures recognised as World Heritage sites, according to the Phnom Penh Post.

“Thailand stated again that to elect Cambodia as a member of the World Heritage Committee will ignite and instigate the conflict between the two countries,” according to the Council of Ministers’ Friday statement.

This is the first time Cambodia has sat on the committee since it joined UNESCO in 1951.

The Angkor temple complex was listed as a World Heritage site in 1993. Preah Vihear temple, on the border with Thailand, was awarded the status in July 2008, triggering a yearlong military standoff between Cambodia and Thailand, which claims the territory around the temple, according to the Post.

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