ICJ awards flashpoint temple area to Cambodia

The United Nation's top court ruled on Monday that part of the contested area around an ancient temple on the Thai-Cambodian border belongs to Cambodia.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) interpreted a 1962 ruling saying that “Cambodia had sovereignty over the whole territory of the promontory of Preah Vihear”, Judge Peter Tomka said.

“In consequence, Thailand was under an obligation to withdraw from that territory Thai military or police forces or other guards or keepers who were stationed there,” he said.

The prime ministers of both Cambodia and Thailand have vowed to comply with the verdict, but analysts in both countries have expressed concern that the decision has the potential to provoke violence.

Thailand has acknowledged that the temple itself belongs to Cambodia, but Bangkok has long claimed much of the land surrounding the facility, including a key access road.

As recently as 2011, Cambodia and Thailand exchanged artillery fire along the border. Clashes that year killed dozens of people and forced tens of thousands to flee to nearby villages.

The 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple was named by UNESCO in 2008 as a World Heritage Site.

The territorial dispute originated in the early years of the 20th century, when Cambodia was part of French Indochina.

In 1962, the ICJ referenced agreements between the French and Siam (as Thailand was internationally known until 1939) in awarding the temple itself to Cambodia, but left unresolved the ownership of 460 hectares of land surrounding the sacred site.