Hun Sen Praises The Hague on 58th Anniversary of Preah Vihear Temple Case Judgement
Prime Ministe Hun Sen took to Facebook on June 15 to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the International Court of Justice's judgement regarding the Preah Vihear Temple. Photo: His Facebook page.
- Phoung Vantha
- June 15, 2020 9:23 AM
June 15, 2020 marked the 58th anniversary of the International Court of Justice’s judgement that declared the Preah Vihear Temple to be Cambodian.
PHNOM PENH--Cambodia on Monday (June 15) marked the 58th anniversary of the country’s victory at the International Court of Justice in what became a hotly contested case against Thailand for its occupation of the Temple of Preah Vihear.
It was on June 15, 1962, that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, finally handed down its 36-page judgement declaring that Preah Vihear was Cambodian territory and did not belong to Thailand.
Prime Minister Hun Sen on the 58th anniversary of the ICJ decision, applauded the international justice system for protecting Cambodia’s sovereign territory from Thailand.
“Happy 58th anniversary of Preah Vihear Temple [ruling] when the International Court of Justice declared Cambodia the rightful owner,” Hun Sen said.
Hun Sen then went on to thank former King Norodom Sihanouk for his efforts in maintaining Cambodia’s claim to the Preah Vihear Temple, which—he noted—had been listed as a world heritage site on July 7, 2008.
On October 6, 1959 Cambodia filed a complaint to the ICJ, requesting the court to surrender territorial sovereignty over the Temple of Preah Vihear and demand that Thailand withdraw all armed forces from that area. Some three years later, Preah Vihear would be internationally recognized as a part of the sovereign territory of Cambodia.
