Thai delegation fighting temple dispute arrives home

BANGKOK, April 21 (TNA) - The Thai delegation fighting against Cambodia’s claims on disputed land near the ancient Preah Vihear temple at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the Netherlands, last week arrived home early Sunday. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Defence Minister Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat and Veerachai Palasai, chief of Thailand’s legal team during the court battle and also ambassador to the Netherlands, were welcomed by a crowd of people upon their arrival at Suvannabhumi International Airport. The people gave them flowers, garlands and held placards thanking them in fighting against Cambodia’s legal team claiming the 4.6 sq.km. of scrub near the Preah Vihear temple during the final oral statements, held at ICJ between April 15-19. Foreign legal experts, hired by the Thai government to fight charges brought by Cambodia to ICJ, are expected to arrive in Thailand this afternoon and are expected to give a press conference at the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday evening. Thanking Thais for giving morale support to legal experts representing Thailand at ICJ, Surapong told journalists at the airport that his ministry would now have to work harder in compiling the oral statements, published them and inform the people what they should expect the ICJ ruling, due to be released in October. Surapong said legal experts, including those hired foreigners, are scheduled to meet and summarised the final oral statements to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra during a meeting Monday afternoon. Surapong said he had talked with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Nampong before the statement began on Monday and reaffirmed Thailand’s stance on continued warm relationship between the two countries no matter what the outcome of the court is. He said the two countries would discuss economic and social development plans “soon” and he was not worried about problems along the Thai-Cambodian border. Veerachai, meanwhile, said Thailand’s legal team is prepared to submit in writing to the ICJ by this Friday on this country’s interpretation of land within the “vicinity” of the ancient temple. One of the ICJ judges asked both countries during the oral statement to report to him in writing on the matter. The ICJ ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia, but surrounding land remains in dispute. The country asked ICJ in 2011 to reinterpret its 1962 judgement whether the 4.6 sq. km. of scrub near the temple belongs to Cambodia or Thailand. The Cambodian-Thai border has never been fully demarcated, in part because the border is littered with landmines left from decades of war in Cambodia. (TNA)