Thailand presents case on temple land today
30/05/2011
Bangkok Post
Thailand will tell the International Court of Justice today that the court has no jurisdiction to judge the borderline of countries in dispute such as itself and Cambodia.
This is a key part of the country’s response to a request filed by Cambodia concerning the fate of land surrounding Preah Vihear temple on the border.
It will deliver the message at the United Nations’ highest court in the Netherlands in a two-day hearing starting today.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday Thailand was ready to fight the case.
“The point is that it’s unreasonable that the ICJ should grant an injunction as requested by Cambodia when Thailand had abided by the court’s ruling [on Preah Vihear ownership] issued in 1962,” he said.
In 1962, the court ruled that Preah Vihear temple is situated in Cambodia. Thailand complied with the ruling but argued that the verdict covered only the sandstone ruins while the area around it belonged to Thailand. Cambodia recently asked the ICJ to interpret its 1962 judgement to establish if the land in the temple’s vicinity also belonged to it.
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