Cambodia to take up long-running border dispute with Thailand at UN's top court

Published connected 02/06/2025 - 19:08 GMT+2•Updated 19:08

Cambodia has said it plans to activity a ruling from nan UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ) complete separator disputes pinch Thailand, 1 of which triggered a fatal subject conflict past week.

Cambodia's National Assembly, wherever Prime Minister Hun Manet's ruling Cambodian People's Party holds each but a fistful of seats, voted connected Monday to support nan government's decision.

In 1962, the ICJ awarded to Cambodia disputed territory connected which a historical temple is located, a move that rankled Thailand and to this time remains a awesome irritant successful bilateral relations.

The ICJ reaffirmed that ruling successful 2013.

Speaking connected Monday astatine a gathering of nan Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Thailand's Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Cambodia has nan correct to record a lawsuit pinch nan court, but that would not impact talks betwixt nan 2 countries nether existing mechanisms.

He said Thai officials will meet later this week to rumor a clear stance connected nan matter.

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who is besides defence minister, said successful a station connected Facebook that some countries are moving to resoluteness nan situation by avoiding further confrontations and violence.

"I'd for illustration to guarantee that we will debar escalation of nan conflict that would only consequence successful losses for some sides successful each aspect," he wrote.

Routine separator patrol turns violent

A separator conflict adjacent Morokot colony successful Cambodia's northwestern state of Preah Vihear connected 28 May near 1 Cambodian worker dead.

It started erstwhile Cambodian troops were conducting a regular patrol on nan separator erstwhile nan Thai broadside opened fire, according to Cambodian officials.

The Thai service says that Cambodian soldiers entered a disputed spot of onshore and opened occurrence erstwhile Thai soldiers approached them to negotiate.

Hun Manet successful societal media posts connected Sunday said that his authorities will inquire nan tribunal to norm connected nan demarcation of respective disputed areas, including wherever nan centuries-old Hindu-style Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Toch and Ta Kro Bei temples are located.

In February, Cambodian troops and their family members entered nan Ta Moan Thom temple successful disputed territory and sang nan Cambodian nationalist anthem, starring to a little statement pinch Thai forces.

Following past week's incident, some sides called for calm and talks to easiness their differences, while reserving nan correct to usage subject action to safeguard their sovereignty.

On 29 May, nan 2 countries' army commanders met to talk really to debar much clashes.

On Monday, Hun Manet called for nan 2 countries to person their Joint Border Commission proceed nan activity of separator demarcation, arsenic good arsenic having nan ICJ return up nan issue.

He said his authorities would return nan cases of nan different disputed areas to nan ICJ to find ownership moreover if Thailand did not subordinate successful nan appeal, successful bid "to extremity this problem and extinguish it erstwhile and for each truthful that location is nary further confusion."

"In particular, let's not autumn for nan incitement of a fistful of extremist groups successful Cambodia and Thailand, and let’s not autumn into nan problem of confrontation by equipped forces of nan 2 countries," he said.

Sore constituent for Thai nationalists

Hun Manet's volition to entreaty to The Hague-based court may touch a nervus successful Thailand because nan 1962 ruling awarding nan Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia is simply a touchstone rumor for Thai nationalists and often comes up successful home politics.

Last year, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinatwatra’s authorities was attacked connected nationalist grounds for proposing to resume talks pinch Cambodia connected demarcation of maritime territory believed to clasp profitable hydrocarbon resources.

In 2008, location were respective deadly clashes betwixt Cambodia and Thai forces astatine nan Preah Vihear promontory, an area connected which sits a 1,000-year-old temple that was listed arsenic a UNESCO World Heritage Site nan aforesaid year.