Australian think tank warns of 'febrile' atmosphere in Thailand after ICJ ruling
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The Cambodia Herald - The Lowy Institute for International Policy has warned of the feverish atmosphere in Thailand following Monday's ruling by the International Court of Justice on the Preah Vihear temple.
The unanimous ruling affirmed the court's 1962 decision to award sovereignty over the temple to Cambodia and clarified the sovereignty over land surrounding the temple.
"The court effectively ruled that the topographic 'peninsula' on which the Preah Vihear temple is built is Cambodian territory while land beyond the peninsula is Thai," the Lowy Interpreter said in a commentary published Tuesday.
"The practical result is that the Thai Government is now obligated to remove its troops and other government representatives from areas close to the temple.
"Politically, the ICJ decision comes close to being a 'win-win' result for the two governments, and it has been welcomed as such by Thai and Cambodian ministers," it said.
The blog by the Sydney-based think tank said there was "little appetite in Cambodia for further confrontation on this issue.
"But the political atmosphere in Thailand (and especially Bangkok) is febrile, as debate over the issue of amnesties for those involved in the 2010 Yellow Shirt-Red Shirt protests continues to generate strong feelings.
"Ultra-patriotic groups may try to gain political advantage from the ICJ's decision by attacking the Thai Government as being weak in protecting national interests."
