Rak Chart Party submits UNESCO letter urging tighter review
Representatives of the Rak Chart Party travelled to Paris, France, to submit a letter to UNESCO headquarters today, April 12, expressing appreciation for its recognition of Thai cultural heritage while also calling for careful evaluation of world heritage registrations.
The delegation, led by party director Chanin Pinthong and spokesperson Chaiporn Jirawinijnan, said the visit aimed to thank UNESCO for acknowledging the value of Thai culture, particularly the traditional dress Chud Thai.
They also used the opportunity to call for stricter consideration in the listing of cultural heritage to prevent cultural distortion and the theft of cultural roots.
Chanin said the group wanted UNESCO to review cultural heritage registrations thoroughly to ensure they are historically correct.
“We would like UNESCO to carefully consider whether each cultural heritage listing is genuinely correct according to history. By coming here today, we hope only to be one voice helping protect Thai culture in a sensitive situation where it is at risk of being stolen.”
Chaiporn added, speaking in both Thai and French, that the move was driven by concerns over the current cultural landscape, particularly the risk of cultural origin claims or misappropriation.
He noted that the visit was intended as a small effort to help safeguard Thailand’s cultural heritage. Both representatives stressed that the submission was not a demand but a constructive proposal, reported Naewna.
They said they hoped UNESCO would consider it in order to strengthen evaluation standards for heritage listings, ensuring respect for history and accuracy in future decisions.
In a separate development, UNESCO has added the Phra Prang of Wat Arun to its Tentative List for World Heritage status, marking an important first step towards full inscription in the future.
The Ministry of Culture has assigned the Fine Arts Department to prepare the nomination dossier and oversee the site’s preservation, restoration and management in line with international standards for the next stage of the process.
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