International Court hands down ruling in temple land dispute Updated 12 November 2013, 14:25 AEST SLUG: Cambodia

temple Reporter: Robert Carmichael INTRO The International Court of Justice has ruled that an area of contested land on which an 11th Century Hindu temple stands belongs to Cambodia, and not Thailand. The decision came two years after Cambodia asked the court to decide on a larger area of disputed land. Robert Carmichael from Radio Australia has more. TEXT Two years ago, Cambodia asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague to revisit a ruling it had made in 1962 in which it awarded an 11th Century Hindu temple to Cambodia. The temple - known in Cambodia as Preah Vihear, and in Thailand as Pra Viharn - had been claimed by both countries. In its decision of June 1962, the ICJ found in favour of Cambodia. However the 1962 ruling did not clarify ownership of nearly 5 square kilometres of land around Preah Vihear temple. And so nearly 50 years later Cambodia asked the ICJ to do just that. In April, both Thailand and Cambodia presented their cases to the ICJ. Cambodia's position was that the 1962 ruling had effectively awarded the contested land to it. Thailand rejected that, and submitted that the ICJ does not have the authority to rule on the disputed land in the first place. On Monday the UN's highest court handed down its ruling. In a complex one-hour briefing, court president Peter Tomka announced that the ICJ: TOMKA CLIP 1 (Male, English):"Unanimously declares by way of interpretation that the judgment of 15 June 1962 decided that Cambodia had sovereignty over the whole territory of the promontory of Preah Vihear, as defined in paragraph 98 of the present judgment, and that in consequence Thailand was under an obligation to withdraw from that territory the Thai military or police forces or other guards or keepers that were stationed there." The ICJ's decision is binding under international law and cannot be appealed.

However the ICJ's decision has awarded to Cambodia only the area on which Preah Vihear temple stands. The court ruled that the rest of the land under dispute did not fall within the 1962 case and therefore was not within its remit to assess. In other words, Monday's verdict hasn't cleared up much. But the judges warn both nations to work out their differences in a peaceful manner. Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said Phnom Penh would stand by the ICJ's decision and would not foment unrest, adding that Cambodia hoped Thailand would act similarly. However, he said, the Cambodian government was concerned at the possibility of violence. PHAY SIPHAN Clip 1 (Male, English): "Yes, we do concern but we are [committed] - the government already - that we maintain peace and stability in that region." With politics in both Thailand and Cambodia in an unsettled state, some analysts have said in recent days that they fear further clashes between the two members of the 10-nation ASEAN bloc. Cambodia and Thailand have come to blows on a number of occasions since UNESCO listed Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site in 2008. The most serious clashes near the temple took place in 2011 when weeks of fighting resulted in more than 20 dead and dozens wounded - most of them soldiers. Tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border were also displaced. Media reports indicate that in recent days both sides have sent troops to the area near the temple.