Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand)


OVERVIEW OF THE CASE

Cambodia complained that Thailand had occupied a piece of its territory surrounding the ruins of the Temple of Preah Vihear, a place of pilgrimage and worship for Cambodians, and asked the Court to declare that territorial sovereignty over the Temple belonged to it and that Thailand was under an obligation to withdraw the armed detachment stationed there since 1954. Thailand filed preliminary objections to the Court’s jurisdiction, which were rejected in a Judgment given on 26 May 1961. In its Judgment on the merits, rendered on 15 June 1962, the Court noted that a Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1904 provided that, in the area under consideration, the frontier was to follow the watershed line, and that a map based on the work of a Mixed Delimitation Commission showed the Temple on the Cambodian side of the boundary. Thailand asserted various arguments aimed at showing that the map had no binding character. One of its contentions was that the map had never been accepted by Thailand or, alternatively, that if Thailand had accepted it, it had done so only because of a mistaken belief that the frontier indicated corresponded to the watershed line. The Court found that Thailand had indeed accepted the map and concluded that the Temple was situated on Cambodian territory. It also held that Thailand was under an obligation to withdraw any military or police force stationed there and to restore to Cambodia any objects removed from the ruins since 1954.


This overview is provided for information only and in no way involves the responsibility of the Court.

Institution of proceedings


Written proceedings

20 January 1960
Available in:
23 May 1960
Procedure(s):Preliminary objections
Available in:
22 July 1960
Procedure(s):Preliminary objections
Available in:
29 November 1961
Available in:

Oral proceedings

Verbatim record 1961 (bilingual version)
Minutes of the Public Hearings held at the Peace Palace, The Hague, from 10 to 15 April 1961, and on 26 May 1961, the President, M. Winiarski, presiding
Procedure(s):Preliminary objections
Available in:
Verbatim record 1962 (bilingual version)
Minutes of the Public Sittings held at the Peace Palace, The Hague, from 1 to 31 March 1962, and on 15 June 1962, the President, M. Winiarski, presiding
Available in:

Other documents


Orders

Fixing of time-limits: Memorial and Counter-Memorial
Available in:
Fixing of time-limit: Written Statement of observations and submissions on Preliminary Objections
Available in:
Fixing of time-limits: Counter-Memorial, Reply and Rejoinder
Available in:

Judgments


Summaries of Judgments and Orders

Summary of the Judgment of 26 May 1961
Available in:
Summary of the Judgment of 15 June 1962
Available in:

Press releases

Press release 1959/44 (French version only)
7 October 1959
Temple of Preah Vihear - Le Gouvernement cambodgien dépose une requête introductive d'instance contre le Gouvernement de Thaïlande (French text only)
Available in:
8 December 1959
Temple of Preah Vihear - Time-limits for the filing of the first two pleadings
Available in:
25 May 1960
Temple of Preah Vihear - The Government of Thailand presents Preliminary Objections to the jurisdiction of the Court
Available in:
14 June 1960
Temple of Preah Vihear - Time-limit within which the Government of Cambodia may present a written statement of its observations and submissions on the objections
Available in:
13 March 1961
Temple of Preah Vihear - The hearings will begin on 10 April 1961
Available in:
7 April 1961
Temple of Preah Vihear - Representatives of the Parties at the hearings
Available in:
10 April 1961
Temple of Preah Vihear - Hearing of 10 April 1961
Available in:
11 April 1961
Temple of Preah Vihear - Hearing of 11 April 1961
Available in:
12 April 1961
Temple of Preah Vihear - Hearing of 12 April 1961
Available in:
14 April 1961
Temple of Preah Vihear - Hearing of 14 April 1961
Available in:
15 April 1961
Temple of Preah Vihear - Hearing of 15 April 1961
Available in:
23 May 1961
Temple of Preah Vihear - The Court will deliver its Judgment on the Preliminary Objections on 26 May 1961
Available in:
26 May 1961
Temple of Preah Vihear - Judgment (Preliminary Objections)
Available in:
27 May 1961
Temple of Preah Vihear - Time-limits for the subsequent proceedings
Available in:
6 February 1962
Temple of Preah Vihear - The hearings on the merits will begin on 1 March 1962
Available in:
28 February 1962
Temple of Preah Vihear - Representatives of the Parties at the hearings
Available in:
1 March 1962
Temple of Preah Vihear - Hearing of 1 March 1962
Available in:
5 March 1962
Temple of Preah Vihear - Hearings of 2, 3 and 5 March 1962
Available in:
13 March 1962
Temple of Preah Vihear - Hearings of 7 to 13 March 1962
Available in:
20 March 1962
Temple of Preah Vihear - Hearings of 15 to 20 mars 1962
Available in:
31 March 1962
Temple of Preah Vihear - Hearings of 21 to 31 March 1962
Available in:
7 June 1962
Temple of Preah Vihear - The Court will deliver its Judgment on 15 June 1962
Available in:
15 June 1962
Temple of Preah Vihear - Judgment (Merits)
Available in:

Correspondence

6 October 1959
Correspondence
Available in: