Thailand’s Presentation of Arguments and Evidence Concerning Phra Viharn Is Satisfactory

(19/04/2013)

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, has expressed his satisfaction with Thailand’s presentation of arguments and evidence in the public hearings concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear (Phra Viharn).

He referred to Thailand’s oral pleadings on 17 April 2013 at the International Court of Justice, saying that the pleadings resulted from the hard work undertaken by the legal team during the past few years.

On 18 April 2013 after the second round of Cambodia’s pleadings, Mr. Surapong said that Cambodia tried to convince the Court to accept its request for interpretation of the 1962 Judgment by arguing Thailand and Cambodia disagree about the scope and meaning of the Judgment, in particular with regard to the Temple’s “vicinity” and the withdrawal of forces from Cambodia’s “territory.” Cambodia posited that it never accepted Thailand’s determination of the limit of the Temple’s vicinity or the barbed-wire fence set up according to the Thai Cabinet’s Resolution in 1962.

Cambodia underscored the status and significance of the “Annex I map” in the 1962 Judgment by claiming that the Court recognized and based its decision on the frontier line on that map.

Earlier on 17 April 2013, Thailand showed the Court that the 1962 Judgment is clear and that Thailand already implemented the obligations contained therein. It countered with solid evidence against Cambodia’s claim that the Court recognized the line in the “Annex I map” as boundary to determine the Temple’s vicinity and maintained that Cambodia had never disputed the Thai Cabinet’s line in effect approximates the Temple’s vicinity.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong added that the Thai legal team and the foreign counsel and experts would hold consultations to prepare Thailand’s oral pleadings to the Court on 19 April 2013. He believes there is substantial information and strong evidence to rebut Cambodia’s counter-arguments.

Thailand’s oral pleadings on the final day of the hearings will adhere to the same position and aim to make the Court realize Cambodia’s true intention, which is not to request the Court for an interpretation of the Judgment, but rather to ask the Court for what the Court expressly rejected over 50 years ago.