Regional News
Cambodia Awaiting talks with Thailand on Implementation of ICJ’s Ruling of Preah Vihear Temple
Cambodia is waiting for negotiations with Thailand on the implementation of the verdict issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month over the disputed land near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple between the two countries, a senior official said Saturday.
“As we all know the current political turmoil in Thailand, so we have to wait for a whole,”Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters after a medal awarding ceremony to honor Cambodia’s legal experts who had fought the case with Thailand at the ICJ.
“When the situation in Thailand returns to normal, we will negotiate and urge Thailand to withdraw its troops from the area around the Preah Vihear temple as ordered by the ICJ,”he said.
Upon Cambodia’s complaint, the Hague-based ICJ ruled on Nov. 11 that Cambodia has sovereignty over the whole territory of the promontory of Preah Vihear temple, and ordered that Thailand was under an obligation to withdraw from that territory.
Hor Namhong said the court has not decided if the Trap Mountain near Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia or Thailand.
“But the court has used the Annex I map to delimit the border line of the two countries, so based on the Annex I map, the Trap Mountain is located in the Cambodian territory,”he said.
Cambodia and Thailand has had a bitter border dispute since July 2008 when the UNESCO added the Cambodia’s Preah Vihear temple to its prestigious World Heritage List, but Thailand claimed the ownership of 4.6 square km of scrub next to the temple.
The temple had become a flashpoint of armed clashes between the two countries’ troops since then. However, tensions have eased since July 2011 when Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of ex-Thai Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, took office.
Thaksin is a close friend of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen
