It’s published update
Cambodia says it plans to seek a ruling from the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) on border disputes with Thailand.
Cambodian Parliament, which is controlled by Prime Minister Hun Mane, holds everything except a small number of seats, voted on Monday to support the government’s decision.
In 1962, the ICJ was a territory that challenged Cambodia, where the historic temples are located, and a move that ranks Thailand, and to this day remains a major stimulus in bilateral relations.
The ICJ reaffirmed its ruling in 2013.
Speaking on Monday at a meeting of the Paris-based Economic Co-operation and Development Agency, Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangin Ponsa said Cambodia has the right to file a lawsuit in the court, but that would not affect meetings between the two countries under existing mechanisms.
He said Thai officials will meet later this week to issue a clear stance on the issue.
Thai deputy prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who is also Thailand’s defense minister, said in a Facebook post that the two countries are working to resolve the crisis by avoiding further conflict and violence.
“We want to ensure that we avoid escalating conflicts that only lead to losses on both sides in every respect,” he wrote.
Daily Border Patrols become violent
One Cambodian soldier was killed in a border conflict near the village of Morokot in Prievier in northwestern Cambodia on May 28th.
According to Cambodian officials, it began when the Thai side fired fire, when Cambodian troops were conducting routine patrols along the border.
Thai troops say Cambodian soldiers entered conflict-based land and fired when Thai soldiers approached them to negotiate.
In a social media post on Sunday, Hun Mane said his government would ask the court to award boundaries of several disputed areas, including the location of the centuries-old Hindu style Tar Moan Thom, Tar Moan Thuchi and Ta Clo Bay temples.
In February, the Cambodian army and its families entered the TA’s moaning Thom Temple in the contested territory, singing the Cambodian national anthem, leading to a brief discussion with the Thai army.
Following last week’s incident, both sides have settled down and sought mild consultations to alleviate their differences, while reserved the right to use military action to protect their sovereignty.
On May 29, the army commanders of both countries met to discuss ways to avoid more conflicts.
On Monday, Hun Mane asked the two countries to continue their work on border borders, bringing the issue to the ICJ.
He said that his government will ensure that there is no further confusion in cases in other conflict zones “to end this issue and completely erase it” in order to determine ownership even if Thailand is not participating in the appeal.
“Let’s not fall into incitement by a handful of extremist groups in Cambodia and Thailand, and not into the issue of conflict between the two countries,” he said.
A painful point for Thai nationalists
Hun Mane’s intention to sue the Hague-based court may touch Thai nerves. This is because the ruling to award Cambodia the Prie Bihaa Temple in 1962 is a touchstone issue for Thai nationalists, and often appears in domestic politics.
Last year, Thai Prime Minister Paetong Tarun Sinatowatra’s government was attacked on nationalistic grounds to suggest that they resume consultations with Cambodia on the boundaries of the maritime region, which are believed to retain beneficial hydrocarbon resources.
In 2008, there were several fatal clashes between Cambodian and Thai forces at the Preah Vihear Promontory, a region lined with 1,000-year-old temples that were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the same year.
