Cambodia officially asks ICJ to intervene in border disputes with Thailand

Cambodia has started the process to seek World Court intervention in its border dispute with Thailand, submitting an official letter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Prime Minister Hun Manet announced on his Facebook page.

Hun Manet said his government submitted the letter today, asking the ICJ to rule on longstanding territorial disputes in areas surrounding the Tamone Thom, Tamone Touch, Ta Krabey, and Mom Bei temples.

The move comes exactly 63 years after the ICJ ruled in favor of Cambodia in the 1962 Preah Vihear Temple case, a date he described as symbolizing the country’s commitment to peaceful and legal solutions.

“Although these two events happened 63 years apart, the spirit and objective remain the same,” he wrote.

Phnom Penh has chosen to pursue a peaceful resolution based on international law through the ICJ mechanism, citing the complexity of the issues, the risk of armed clashes, and the limitations of bilateral talks.

The Cambodian leader reiterated that his government seeks only “justice, fairness and clarity” in the demarcation and delimitation of its borders, to avoid future tensions and ensure that the next generation does not inherit unresolved territorial claims.

On his Facebook page, Hun Manet shared a photo showing an official holding an envelope addressed to Philippe Gautier, registrar of the International Court of Justice, at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

Meanwhile, today is the second day of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) meeting in Phnom Penh, which was originally scheduled for just one day.

The Thai government has maintained that the dispute should be resolved through bilateral mechanisms such as the JBC and has not accepted the ICJ’s compulsory jurisdiction since 1960.