Legal team will be set up to deal with Cambodia’s ICJ move on temple

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is preparing to establish a legal team to deal with Cambodia’s move to seek International Court of Justice (ICJ) clarification over its 1962 ruling on the Preah Vihear Temple. The premier will raise the issue with his Cabinet at its meeting tomorrow. A military source, meanwhile, disclosed that in the face of the military build-up near the Prasat Ta Kwai and Prasat Ta Muan Thom on Cambodian soil, Thai Army chief General Prayut Chan-ocha ordered that reinforcements be readied to boost the Thai military strength in the border areas. It added that the rapid-deployment force from the First Army Region was among the chosen reinforcement units. The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has spiralled into clashes from time to time in recent years after Cambodia unilaterally sought to get the Preah Vihear Temple inscribed as a world-heritage site on its soil. Now, Cambodia has also asked the ICJ to clarify its 1962 ruling over the ancient Hindu temple. Speaking at the “Confidence in Thailand with PM Abhisit” programme yesterday, the premier said the ICJ had already officially received a petition from Cambodia. “But Thailand has not yet received any official document regarding the matter,” he added. In 1962, the ICJ ruled that “the temple of Preah Vihear is situated on territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia”, after which Bangkok has argued that the court ruled only that the sandstone ruins belong to Cambodia while the areas surrounding the Hindu temple belong to Thailand.

DEALING WITH P PENH’S PETITION
During an interview with media later yesterday, Abhisit said Thailand would now have to form a legal team to deal with Cambodia’s petition to the ICJ.
Asked whether he would have a discussion with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Abhisit said he would wait to hear what the legal team has to say first.
The Asean summit will take place in Indonesia between May 6 and May 8. The Thai and Cambodian prime ministers are scheduled to attend the event.
The border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand has been heating up in recent weeks with clashes reported every now and then. The latest flare-up began at around 11pm on Saturday, first with gunshots and then hand-grenades and rocket-propelled grenades.
SPORADIC CLASHES
Between 1am and 2am yesterday, M-79 grenades were fired into Prasat Ta Kwai. Both sides then used grenades against each other for about 20 minutes, after which only small-arms fire was traded sporadically until 7am.
The clashes stretched to Prasat Ta Muan Thom, injuring two Thai soldiers. Both were sent to the Phanom Dong Rak Hospital for treatment.
The Forward Operations Centre of the Second Army Region yesterday disclosed that since the fresh border fighting started last month, seven Thai soldiers and one Thai civilian were killed. The clashes also left 120 Thai soldiers and seven Thai civilians injured. Up to 11 houses were damaged.
To date, 42,804 people in border villages in Surin and Buri Ram have been evacuated.
At an evacuation centre in Surin’s Prasat district, two women died after developing life-threatening symptoms yesterday. Rayya Saengtawan, 42, was feverish and had difficulty breathing before she passed away at the centre. The other, 76-year-old Tong Khantiwong, was rushed to the hospital but finally succumbed there.
An informed source said Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan was now trying to arrange ceasefire talks via his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh and also to push for the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting because he wanted the fighting to stop.
“He wants it to end because prolonged clashes have hurt people of both countries,” the source said.
Because of the fighting, Chong Chom and Chong Sangam border crossings have been closed for more than 10 days. Border trade there has come to a complete halt.
“This is too bad. To some people, border trade means their livelihood,” Nitit Buajan said. He is a tyre seller in the border province of Surin.
According to The Nation, May 02, 2011