International Court Resolves Border Dispute In Cambodia's Favor
The International Court of Justice in the Hague has ruled that a disputed promontory that surrounds a 1,000-year-old Hindu temple belongs to Cambodia and said forces from neighboring Thailand should pack up and leave.
The conflict over the 2.8-mile Preah Vihear promontory has led to several skirmishes and exchanges of artillery fire between Thai and Cambodian forces in recent years.
In 1962, the same court ruled that the temple complex was on Cambodian soil but left open the question of exactly where the border around it should be drawn.
In Monday's ruling, however, the ICJ rejected Cambodia's claim to a nearby hill which falls within the disputed area.
The Bangkok Post reports:
"The 11th-century Preah Vihear temple complex is situated on a steep-sided promontory that juts south into the Cambodian plain, making access - including tourism - difficult without access from the northern, Thai side.
The judgment was expected to spark further opposition in Bangkok, where hundreds of protesters petitioned the Defence Ministry earlier Monday to reject the ICJ's authority over the dispute."