Cambodia to take the ongoing border dispute with Thailand to ICJ

Phnom Penh: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has announced the establishment of a high-level documenting committee to build a strong case as the country has decided to take the ongoing border dispute with Thailand to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The high-level documenting committee will be in charge of taking the long-standing case to the ICJ, local media reported on Wednesday.

The move comes at a time when Cambodia and Thailand are scheduled to hold a Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting on June 14 in Phnom Penh, centreing on the border issues.

The Cambodian government on Tuesday stated that it has created the “Committee to Prepare Documents for Filing a Case with the International Court of Justice Regarding the Areas of Mom Bei, Ta Moan Thom Temple, Ta Moan Tauch Temple, and Ta Krabei Temple.”

According to a report by Cambodian newspaper Khmer Times, the committee Chaired by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn, “shall have the authority and competence to act on behalf of the Kingdom of Cambodia before the International Court of Justice.”

However, Thailand wanted the border issue to be resolved through bilateral mechanisms.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra confirmed that she held discussions with her Cambodian counterpart, Hun Manet, and his father, Senate President and former premier Hun Sen, as they agreed on a mutual commitment to resolve the dispute peacefully through dialogue.

“Our commitment to a peaceful approach has yielded positive results. Through sincere and transparent negotiation techniques, we were able to de-escalate the situation without the need for violent confrontation,” Thailand’s leading newspaper, Bangkok Post, quoted Paetongtarn as saying.

Thai PM confirmed that the scheduled meeting on June 14 will proceed as planned by both countries.

As Cambodia intends to take the matter to the ICJ, Paetongtarn Shinawatra stated that the Thai government upholds its stance of not accepting ICJ jurisdiction.

The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia escalated after soldiers of both countries briefly exchanged gunfire at the border area of Emerald Triangle on May 28, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier.

–IANS