24 Jul The Buddhist Temple That May Start a War
24.07.08
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Thailand and Cambodia have both mobilized troops to defend their claims to sovereignty over the Preah Vihear Temple, which is located on their border. The dispute has lingered for decades and was supposedly dealt with by this 1962 ICJ decision which awarded sovereignty to Cambodia. Apparently, Thailand is still not convinced and is prepared to occupy the temple by force (it is only 70 meters inside Cambodian territory according to the ICJ). I find it hard to believe that a war could break out over what seems like a minor issue, but of course wars break out all the time for such reasons. Still, it seems like a textbook case for a UN Security Council intervention, or at least a mediation. It appears that Thailand is going to just ignore that pesky 1962 ICJ decision.
A small point regarding the categorization of Preah Vihear:
According to UNESCO –http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1224 – the primary deity of Preah Vihear is Shiva, a Hindu God. Despite the fact that there is a great deal of overlap between Buddhism and Hinduism, it is slightly misleading to describe Preah Vinhear as a “Buddhist Temple.”