evidence: When Preah Vihear temple was granted World Heritage status in 2008, Cambodia celebrated. People danced with joy in the streets of Phnom Penh. But in neighbouring Thailand, it triggered a series of angry xenophobic protests. [...] The background to the conflict dates back to the period of the great Angkorian Empire, when the territory of Cambodia stretched across most of South East Asia, preceding the emergence of Siam as a nation-state now known as Thailand. The 11th century temple of Preah Vihear preceded the completion of legendary Angkor Wat and Bayon temples, also renowned World Heritage sites. [...] "I think Thailand’s memory of an international organisation giving legal control of Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962, will make it unwilling to allow any other intervention by outsiders, such as UNESCO or ASEAN," he added.