Thai Ambassador To The Netherlands Believes Icj Will Rule Fairly On Cambodian Border Issue

[Lite Beer]

Thai ambassador to the Netherlands believes ICJ will rule fairly on Cambodian border issue

BANGKOK, July 17 -- Thailand’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Virachai Plasai said he believed the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's highest court based in The Hague, would rule fairly on Tuesday, July 18, when it is scheduled to issue clarifications on Thai-Cambodian border measures.

The ICJ is set to rule on Cambodia's request to issue provisional measures forcing Thailand to withdraw troops from the disputed area near Preah Vihear temple and banning military activity in the vicinity, following sporadic deadly clashes between troops of both countries.

A public hearing would take place at the Peace Palace in The Hague and the President of the Court will read the court’s order.

Mr Virachai said the direction of the ruling was expected to be one of three scenarios: the court will issue provisional measures as requested by Cambodia, it will decide that it has no jurisdiction and drop the case, or the court may order both Thailand and Cambodia to jointly carry out actions.

The first order would of the most benefit for Thailand, he added.

The ambassador said Thailand was well prepared for the oral hearing at The Hague during May 30-31, concerning Cambodia’s request for indications of provisional measures pertaining to its other request for interpretation of the Court’s 1962 judgment in the case concerning the Preah Vihear Temple.

Thailand's legal team had done it best and believed in the fairness of the ICJ, he said, adding that the case could be used to affirm the justice of the ICJ.

A Thai delegation led by outgoing Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his entourage, including Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to the foreign minister, Theerakul Niyom, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ittiporn Boonpracong, Director-General of the Department of Treaties and Legal Affair and representatives from Royal Thai Army Survey Department, the Office of the Attorney General and Fine Arts Department left Bangkok Saturday for The Hague to be present at ICJ.

In 1962, the court ruled that Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia. Thailand complied with the ruling but argued that the verdict covered only the sandstone ruins themselves, while the area around it belonged to Thailand.

Since then, both sides have built up military forces along the border and periodic clashes have occurred, resulting in the deaths of troops and civilians on both sides.

On April 28, Cambodia asked the ICJ to interpret its 1962 judgment to establish if the land in the temple's vicinity also belonged to it. The application was accompanied by an urgent request to indicate provisional measures.

In a related development, the border trade between Thailand and Cambodia at Chong Sangam border crossing in Si Sa Ket province was robust, as Cambodians crossed the border to shop for goods in Thailand to sell in Cambodia.

Thai troops were on full alert at the checkpoint by the entrance of the Khao Phra Wihan National Park in Kantharalak district to prevent untoward incidents.

Meanwhile, Cambodian troops reportedly reinforced at Preah Vihear Temple with at least five tanks moving into the area. The Cambodians were also reportedly building a road in the area to facilitate troop movements. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-07-17

[sirchai]

The 1963 resolution of a contentious territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, the World Court awarded these spectacular mountaintop Khmer ruins to Cambodia.

Ironically, however, even after the border was redefined, the temple, which sits on a cliff high above the rest of Cambodia, could only be accessed from a Thai road.

The site later became a Khmer Rouge stronghold, and even after the Cambodian government opened the ruins again in the early 1990s, access to the area was only intermittent until the fall of Pol Pot in 1998.

Looks like somebody has made the wrong decision.............:jap:

[janverbeem]

Thai ambassador to the Netherlands believes ICJ will rule fairly on Cambodian border issue<BR sab="347"><BR sab="348">

It should read as that the Thais expect the UN to take their side.

Anyway we all know that if the ruling is in favour of Cambodia,as it mostly expected will be,the Thais will put the decision aside of them and consider it not valid.There are enough examples of that already.

[hellodolly]

The 1963 resolution of a contentious territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, the World Court awarded these spectacular mountaintop Khmer ruins to Cambodia.

Ironically, however, even after the border was redefined, the temple, which sits on a cliff high above the rest of Cambodia, could only be accessed from a Thai road.

The site later became a Khmer Rouge stronghold, and even after the Cambodian government opened the ruins again in the early 1990s, access to the area was only intermittent until the fall of Pol Pot in 1998.

Looks like somebody has made the wrong decision.............:jap:

so in order for the Khmer Rouge to make it into a stronghold they had to have the cooperation of the Thai government. to get to it.

[webfact]

ICJ ruling due today on Preah Vihear

By The Nation

Decision due on troops near temple; Si Sa Ket villagers fearful over verdict

The International Court of Justice will deliver its decision today on Cambodia's request for a temporary injunction against Thai troops occupying the disputed area around Preah Vihear Temple amid fears by Si Sa Ket border residents of further fighting.

Virachai Plasai, Thai ambassador to The Hague and Thai agent to the court, said yesterday he was confident "the case would prove the ICJ's justice again".

The high court ruled back in 1962 that the Hindu temple was located in an area under Cambodian sovereignty.

Thailand accepted the outcome but claimed the soil on which the temple is sitting belongs to Thailand.

On April 28, Cambodia sought a clarification from the court on the scope and meaning of the 1962 ruling giving control of the temple to Cambodia.

Phnom Penh also asked the high court, pending its interpretation of the 1962 ruling, to order the withdrawal of Thai military personnel, plus a ban on Thai military activities in the disputed area and to prohib any act that could violate Cambodia's right over the territory.

Outgoing Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong, who is the Cambodian agent to the court, will attend the reading at the Peace Palace in The Hague, where the court sits, at 10am local time (3pm Bangkok time).

Virachai said the court's response could take one of three forms.

The court might reject Cambodia's request and remove the case from the court's general list.

Or, the court might order Thailand to withdraw its forces from the disputed area, as requested by Cambodia.

Or, the court might order both sides to comply with a new measure to reduce confrontation.

"Rejecting Cambodia's request is the best way for Thailand," Virachai said.

The Thai legal team tried its best to defend Thailand's stance when oral arguments were heard on May 30-31, as it had prepared for years to face the court battle with Cambodia, he said.

"We did our best under the framework of the previous ruling, which was not made in favour of Thailand," he said.

Villagers in Ban Phumsrol, which is next to the temple, said they were worried the court would back Cambodia rather than Thailand.

"I don't know what to do if the court orders Thailand to withdraw troops from the area," Thongkham Kantarawong said. "I don't know if Cambodian troops will move in if Thai soldiers leave the area," he said.

"I don't know how the new government will handle the case if the court really orders the troop withdrawal," he said.

"We all know and accept that the temple belongs to Cambodia, so let it go, but the government should protect our territory," he said.

Veerasit Koksri said if the court ruled as Cambodia requested, the government should rush to solve the problem.

"Otherwise, people living along the border could be in trouble," he said.

Locals had prepared well for any unexpected developments after the court's verdict on the injunction, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-07-18

[softgeorge]

Thai ambassador to the Netherlands believes ICJ will rule fairly on Cambodian border issue<BR sab="347"><BR sab="348">

It should read as that the Thais expect the UN to take their side.

Anyway we all know that if the ruling is in favour of Cambodia,as it mostly expected will be,the Thais will put the decision aside of them and consider it not valid.There are enough examples of that already.

I expect this will be the outcome and if it is then Thailand should just accept it and get on with it.

[fatfather]

As mentioned before in another post in this forum, the trouble is older. It starts with a ruling of the Siam-French-Treaty in 1907. The stupid thing is that it was ruled out at a desk. It seems that the officials never went out to the site. The temple is Combodian, despite the natural border, which is a cliff in this area. The surrounding land on this cliff is Thai. What can the Cambodians do with their temple without any possilility to access it but crossing Thai territory. What The Hague can rule in this case? Tell Thailand to withdraw troops from Thai territory? Thailand and Cambodia have to solve this problem together, .....but maybe they don't want. This temple was always good for chain rattling in the past, when there were internal problems (valid for Thailand and Cambodia). Each time when there was trouble in this area and all attention went to the border, internal problems had been solved, without major attention. Last time Cambodia made Hun Manet, Hun Sen's oldest son, a battle field experienced general and they also cleared a rebellious residential area in Pnomh Penh, without any public attention, because everybody was watching in another direction... The temple is more a like a political tool than a conflict.

Maybe The Hague ask Cambodia to build a Lift....

fatfather