Thailand’s closing statement on temple case at ICJ

A general view of the start of proceedings in a court room at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Dr Virachai Plasai, Thailand’s ambassador to the Netherlands

2/06/2011
Bangkok Post

Allow me to conclude by highlighting two key words that encapsulate Thailand’s position towards the subject before us here and the overall relations with Cambodia which flow from Thailand’s fundamental commitment to justice and peace that I elaborated on Tuesday. They are: consistency and sincerity.

Consistency

Thailand has been consistent in her position. That position is simply that Thailand did accept the International Court of Justice’s judgement in 1962 and fully complied with it, and Cambodia herself did accept that Thailand has given full compliance with the decision.

Thailand has also been consistent in her position that the court in 1962 did not rule on the boundary line. That question was left to be mutually determined in accordance with international law. And as things stand, that question is to be determined, and is being determined, under the existing bilateral mechanism subsequently and mutually established by both countries under the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding. Pending demarcation of the boundary, we have been consistently adhering to the Thai cabinet line of 1962. We did not change our position about the boundary in 2007, or any other time for that matter, as alleged by Cambodia.

Thailand has also been consistent in her position regarding inscription of the Temple of Phra Viharn [Preah Vihear] on the World Heritage List. The temple requires a buffer zone as a World Heritage site, and that can only be found in Thai territory. We understand that, and have always been ready and willing to undertake a joint nomination with Cambodia. It is Cambodia’s constant refusal of such joint undertaking that is the root cause of the problems that have arisen over the inscription. As the timeline approaches and the prospect is still uncertain, a “conflict by design” triggering the indication of artificial provisional measures by the court as a backdoor to clear the area for the much-desired buffer zone to be included in the management plan at the World Heritage Committee meeting at the end of this month, is a strategy that Thailand understandably resists.

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