UN Court Orders Thai And Cambodian Troop Withdrawal

[webfact]

UN court orders Thai and Cambodian troop withdrawal

by Jan Hennop

THE HAGUE, July 18, 2011 (AFP) - The UN's highest court Monday ordered Thailand and Cambodia to immediately withdraw their troops from a disputed area around an ancient temple on the border between the two Asian neighbours.

"Both parties should immediately withdraw their military personnel currently present in the provisional demilitarised zone and refrain from any military presence within that zone," said the order, read by International Court of Justice president Judge Hisashi Owada at a sitting in The Hague.

"Having noted that the temple area had been the scene of armed clashes between the parties and that such clashes may reoccur, the court decided... there was an urgent need for the presence of all armed forces to be temporary excluded from a provisional demilitarised zone around the area of the temple," the judge said.

Cambodia in late April launched a bitter legal battle before the ICJ in which it asked for an interpretation of a 1962 ICJ ruling around the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple.

It also asked the court, while judges were pondering that request, to approve provisional measures including an immediate Thai troop withdrawal and a ban on all Thai military activity there.

Although Thailand does not dispute Cambodia's ownership of the temple, secured by the 1962 ruling, both Phnom Penh and Bangkok claim the 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) area surrounding the Khmer complex.

In February the United Nations appealed for a permanent ceasefire after 10 people were killed in fighting near the Khmer complex.

However fresh clashes broke out in April further west, leaving 18 dead and prompting 85,000 civilians to flee.

The court Monday urged the two countries to continue to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to come to an agreement to allow observers representing the 10-nation bloc to have access to the provisional demilitarised zone around the temple.

"Both parties should refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the court or make it more difficult to resolve," the court added.

The UN's highest court Monday also ordered Thailand not to obstruct Cambodia's free access to the Preah Vihear complex or prevent Cambodia from taking fresh supplies to its non-military personnel there.

Cambodia said although there had been clashes in the past, Thai aggression substantially increased after July 2008, when the UN's cultural body UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage site.

The 11th-century complex has been at the centre of a long legal wrangle between Thailand and Cambodia -- which first took its southeastern Asian neighbour to the ICJ in 1959 over the issue.

Thailand's Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Monday his country would honour the ICJ ruling.

"We are satisfied in the sense that the decision of the withdrawal of the troops is applicable to both Cambodia and Thailand," he told reporters afterwards.

Established in 1945, the ICJ is the UN's highest judicial organ and it settles disputes between states. It is the only one of six principal UN organs not located in New York.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-07-18

[webfact]

BreakingNews: UN court orders Thailand, Cambodia to withdraw troops from disputed area near border temple - AP

[webfact]

Urgent: ICJ orders both Thailand, Cambodia to withdraw troops

The International Court of Justice Monday voted 9:5 to order both Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw their troops from the disputed plot around Preah Vihear Temple.

-- The Nation 2011-07-18

[webfact]

World Court Finishes Reading Verdict

The International Court of Justice has ordered both Cambodia and Thailand to withdraw its troops from the disputed area. However, it did go on to say that Thailand must not prevent Cambodian military and civilians from accessing the Phrea Vihear Temple.

-- Tan Network 2011-07-18

[hammered]

PAD are going to go beserk

Thai military said before the ruling that they would not withdraw according to the other news source

Kasit's head must be close to exploding

[travelmann]

Yeah like they'll pay any attention to anyone who isn't a Thai right?

[MunterHunter]

This will be interesting...

I was under the impression that Thailand has the right to put its troops where ever they please, within the boundaries of their own country.

[SAffer]

I have seen the UN operate in Africa... they are too PC to have any effect. They have teeth, but don't bite. I doubt the Thais and Cambodians are too worried about this statement, they will not leave.

[hammered]

No troops allowed in the disputed area

Thailand isnt allowed to block Cambodian civilians or military from accessing the temple

Methinks Hun Sen will be more happy than the outgoing Thai government and their handlers

[siampolee]

Remember there is of course behind the scenes a puppet master who once famously quoted, ''The United Nations Is Not My Father."

The puppet master may not want his stooges to compromise his ideals and aims.

Cut and pasted from a comment I made in the " UN's Highest Court To Rule On Thai Troop Withdrawal thread, "

[whybother]

World Court Finishes Reading Verdict

The International Court of Justice has ordered both Cambodia and Thailand to withdraw its troops from the disputed area. However, it did go on to say that Thailand must not prevent Cambodian military and civilians from accessing the Phrea Vihear Temple.

If the Cambodians must withdraw their troops, why would they need access to the temple?

[MengWan]

The International Court of Justice has ordered both Cambodia and Thailand to withdraw its troops from the disputed area. However, it did go on to say that Thailand must not prevent Cambodian military and civilians from accessing the Phrea Vihear Temple.

Isn't there a contradiction ?

[hammered]

World Court Finishes Reading Verdict

The International Court of Justice has ordered both Cambodia and Thailand to withdraw its troops from the disputed area. However, it did go on to say that Thailand must not prevent Cambodian military and civilians from accessing the Phrea Vihear Temple.

If the Cambodians must withdraw their troops, why would they need access to the temple?

The temple is Cambodian territory according to law I guess and hence I suppose they have a right for anyone including troops to be there. The other land is disputed and hence I guess not legally anyones proven land so the court can make rulings. Im sure the legal side will be analysed to death in the coming days anyway

Edited July 18, 2011 by hammered

[Crushdepth]

World Court Finishes Reading Verdict

The International Court of Justice has ordered both Cambodia and Thailand to withdraw its troops from the disputed area. However, it did go on to say that Thailand must not prevent Cambodian military and civilians from accessing the Phrea Vihear Temple.

If the Cambodians must withdraw their troops, why would they need access to the temple?

The temple belongs to Cambodia so they have a 'right' to access it. It's the land around it that is in dispute.

[Scott]

I think the Court ruling has to do only with the disputed area. I would assume that until the dispute is settled, the land wouldn't be considered as belonging to either country.

[webfact]

Area marked for the withdrawal of troops by ICJ is to the northwest of Preah Vihear Temple /TAN_Network

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ICJ orders both countries to allow ASEAN observers to observe situation, incl ceasefire. /via@Juarawee: /via@nationchannel24

[Just1Voice]

I can hear it now from the Thai: "We don't recognize the court, they have no authority to tell us to do anything, so we don't have to abide by the ruling!"

[webfact]

Meanwhile, the army said it will only listen to the government, not the international court /via@Juarawee /via@ASEAN_NEWSROOM:

[cacruden]

UN court has no jurisdiction to order a withdrawal from undisputed national territory - which they DID NOT.

The only area this ruling applies to is the 4.6 sq/km area which is disputed (surrounding the temple).

Since Thailand does not dispute Cambodia's ownership of the temple, secured by the 1962 ruling, Cambodian troops of course have the right to enter the temple AS LONG as they do not cross the disputed territory to do so.

[webfact]

Thailand, Cambodia ordered to withdraw troops

By The Nation

The International Court of Justice Monday voted 9:5 to order both Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw their troops from the disputed plot around Preah Vihear Temple.

Praj Iampongsan, a Nation Channel reporter, reported from Hague that the ICJ would proceed with the case to interpret the 1962 ruling on the Preah Vihear temple. Pending the ruling, both countries are required to pull out their troops from the area.

He said the court rejected Thailand's request to throw out the case.

Should the Thai government decide to comply with the court order and withdraw the troops from the 4.5 disputed area, it would be seen favourable for Cambodia.

Without Thai troops deployed in the disputed area, Cambodia could proceed to develop Preah Vihear as a world heritage site without obstacle.

-- The Nation 2011-07-18

[webfact]

Court's decision aims for negotiations; not indicating who's right/wrong, provisional measure is thought to lessen dispute /via@suthichai

[chatette]

Oh yes. Thailand ALWAYS honors international court orders.

[kalbo123]

Meanwhile, the army said it will only listen to the government, not the international court /via@Juarawee /via@ASEAN_NEWSROOM:

Seriously doubt that they will listen to any government, the Thai army have their own agenda....

[hammered]

Cambodia got pretty much what they asked for from the decision.

[webfact]

ICJ orders both sides to refrain from any actions tht could increase tension, its ruling will b published on ICJ's website /via@yordyings /via@ASEAN_NEWSROOM

[Sydebolle]

Just waiting for the moment when the Cambodians pull up a wall along their border and cordon/close off the temple making it only accessible from the Khmer side which is extremely difficult, albeit not impossible. Take the kids the toy in discussion (those 4.6 km2) away and put it as an UN-buffer zone. Will make the involved armies rich, everyone is happy and dandy. In all practicality, the access is a million times easier from the Thai side. By topographics the entire thing would be Thai (politically speaking), 900 years ago it was a part of the Khmer kingdom (like Pimai, Khao Phanom Rung, Muang Tam in Thailand as well as Wat Phou in Southern Lao PDR). Luckily the politicians were not around 900 years ago already. For me, all these temples belong to the people of the world; compensate the political allocation of the respective country and ensure, that these World Heritage Sites remain world heritages for generations to come; if you leave it up to the army everything will be incinerates to dust by the time those fellows leave. What a sad state of affair on this issue of architectural grandeur proving that centuries ago some people had just common sence; something which must have gone lost on the way to the 21st century.

[webfact]

Region 2 Commander: Army Will Wait for Instructions from Gov't

Thailand's Region 2 Army Commander has revealed that the military will wait for instructions from the government as to how to react following the ICJ's verdict for both Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw troops from the disputed area. The situation along the border remains normal.

-- Tan Network 2011-07-18

[hardy1943]

Meanwhile, the army said it will only listen to the government, not the international court /via@Juarawee /via@ASEAN_NEWSROOM:

Seriously doubt that they will listen to any government, the Thai army have their own agenda....

Yah! They act like a little boy in a sand box. This is my sand box!

[webfact]

Caretaker Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will hold a press conf in any minute /via@PrajKPS /via@ASEAN_NEWSROOM

Outgoing Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva will also hold a press conf at 6 PM /via @aim_nt /via@ASEAN_NEWSROOM

4 spots in which troops from both countries must be removed are to the northwest of Preah Vihear Temple and covers an area of around 2 sq km /TAN_Network