BANGKOK, 9 January 2013 The cross-border tension between Thailand and Cambodia escalates as both countries prepare to make legal submissions to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the disputed area around the Preah Vihear temple in 3 months.
In Surin province, security has tightened with local army units issuing an order banning Thai nationals and tourists from visiting the area’s viewpoints, citing safety reasons.
According to reports, Cambodian army units have settled near the viewpoint with their family members, allegedly hoping to form a human shield. The Cambodian soldiers are reportedly not leaving the disputed area, following requests made by provincial Thai army units.
The Thai-Cambodian border dispute began in June 2008 as the latest round of a century-long dispute between the two countries involving the area surrounding the 11th-century Preah Vihear Temple. On Tuesday, the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has put forward a seven-point proposal to the government, demanding that it reject any hostile ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the dispute.
