[Thai] Govt asked not to accept ICJ's ruling

8/01/2013
Bangkok Post

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has formally submitted a seven-point proposal for the government not to accept the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s pending ruling over the Thai-Cambodian border dispute.

The proposal was submitted by Panthep Puapongpan, a PAD core member, to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

In the first point of the proposal, the PAD asked the government to officially declare that the ICJ does not have the jurisdiction to interpret the 1962 judgement, which awarded ownership of the Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia but left the 4.6 sq km area surrounding it in dispute.

The ICJ has scheduled for Cambodia to present an oral statement to it on April 5 and Thailand to do likewise on April 19. The ruling is expected to be made in October.

The other points in the proposal are as follows:

- Following the declaration, Thailand would subsequently not be duty-bound to comply with the ICJ's injunction. It would not have to withdraw troops or police from the disputed area, but push a Cambodian community out of the Thai soil.

- Thailand should then develop relationship particularly with countries which are members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to make sure that its territorial sovereignty would not be be infringed on.

- The Thai government must reiterate that other UN members cannot interfere in Thailand's internal affairs, citing provisions in the UN Charter.

- Thailand must not return to be a member of Unesco's World Heritage Convention.

- The government should stop the Foreign Ministry's plan to hire academics with a budget of 7.1 million baht to campaign on state media for the Thai people to accept the ICJ's ruling, even if it could mean a loss of territory to Cambodia.

- The government should take action to expedite the release of Veera Somkwamkid and Ratree Pipattanapiboon, members of the Thai Patriots Network, who have been imprisoned in Cambodia for alleged spying and border encroachment.

Mr Panthep said the PAD would consider taking action, which might be a mass rally, if the government did not respond to the proposal.