Troop withdrawal order temporarily delayed

Thai call for talks between both nations

Published on 22 July 2011

Author(s): Peace & Security Report/Cameron M. Chisholm

Type:  Blog

On Monday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) instituted a demilitarized zone around the contested Preah Vihear temple, ordering the withdrawal of all Cambodian and Thai armed forces. The next day, outgoing Thai Prime Minister Vejjajiva called for talks between both nations prior to the withdrawal of any troops.

Cambodian officials welcomed the proposal on Wednesday, noting that Thailand is awaiting the appointment of a new Prime Minister and will likely be currently unable to direct enough attention to the Preah Vihear temple issue. Comment: Neither side appears to be willing to withdraw their troops first, since both have called for the presence of Indonesian observers to monitor the mutual withdrawal of both countries armed forces as a precursor to any troop movements.

However, both nations currently appear to be satisfied with the ICJ's ruling designed to end the military buildup in the region and prevent future outbreaks of violent conflict.

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