Cambodia and Thailand will continue to maintain peace along the
border regardless of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s upcoming
decision on the case concerning the disputed land around Preah
Vihear Temple, a senior Cambodian official has said.
“Let
the ICJ make a judgment in the case,” Cambodian Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters on April 22
after oral hearings on the dispute at the ICJ in The Hague, the
Netherlands.
He noted that in recent meetings between Prime
Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra, as well
as between the two countries’ Foreign Ministers, both sides agreed to
keep calm and comply with the court’s decision.
As scheduled,
after oral hearings between the two countries from April 15-19, the ICJ
will make its final decision on the case by late 2013.
The
ICJ’s 1962 judgment said that Preah Vihear Temple belongs to
Cambodia, but it did not mention the 4.6 square kilometres of land
that surrounds the temple.
Sovereignty dispute over the land
has existed for a long time but it particularly became tense in July,
2008 when UNESCO listed Preah Vihear Temple as a World Heritage
Site. It has led to many clashes between the two armies, claiming tens
of lives.
In April 2011, Cambodia asked the ICJ to clarify its 1962 decision.-VNA