PHNOM PENH – Cambodia’s official letter reached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on the afternoon of June 16, after being sent from Cambodia on June 15. The Kingdom is seeking a resolution to the current four-point border dispute with Thailand.
The letter was submitted a day earlier by Prak Sokhonn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, who heads the team tasked with preparing documents for the case, which aims to resolve the issues surrounding the Mum Bei area, as well as the Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Tauch and Ta Krabei temples.
The letter was delivered to the ICJ at 4.30pm Phnom Penh time by Kim Suor Sovannary, Cambodia’s Ambassador to the Netherlands. She handed it directly to Philippe Gautier, Registrar of the ICJ.
Cambodian ambassador to the Netherlands Kim Suor Sovannary personally handed the letter to Philippe Gautier, Registrar of the ICJ, at 4.30pm Phnom Penh time. PHOTO: STPM/THE PHNOM PENH POST
In a June 16 social media post, Prime Minister Hun Manet reaffirmed: “Cambodia will not back down from using legal mechanisms through the ICJ to seek a resolution to the Cambodia-Thailand border issue concerning Ta Moan Thom Temple, Ta Moan Tauch Temple, Ta Krabei Temple and the Mum Bei area.”
“The Royal Government will continue this effort with determination and responsibility to protect territorial integrity and the supreme interests of the nation and the Khmer people,” he added.
These four locations were not discussed during the recent Joint Border Committee (JBC) meeting, held on June 14-15 in Phnom Penh.
Nikorndej Balankura, spokesperson for Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated during a June 16 press conference that the failure to discuss these four points “is a disappointment for Thailand”, claiming they fall within the JBC framework.
The ICJ has previously ruled in Cambodia’s favour in a Preah Vihear territorial dispute with Thailand, with the Thai side refusing to accept its jurisdiction.
