Thai PM to hold urgent meeting on ICJ’s ruling

BANGKOK, October 20 (TNA) – Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will hold an urgent meeting with her top-level security team on Monday, three weeks before the world court issues its ruling on the disputed area surrounding ancient Preah Vihear temple, contested by Thailand and its neighbour Cambodia. Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said on Sunday the meeting would discuss an establishment of a Thai-Cambodian working committee responsible for implementing the judgment which would be issued by the world court on November 11. Mr. Surapong said decisions made from Monday’s meeting would be forwarded to the National Security Council and eventually to the cabinet for its consideration. Also, Mr. Surapong said he would seek for a meeting with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Nam Hong, also deputy prime minister, before the world court ruling. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has set November 11 as the date to issue its ruling on the disputed territory surrounding the ancient Hindu temple in which Mr. Surapong said he would request for special budget from the prime minister on broadcasting the event live to Thailand. The ICJ ruled in 1962 that the Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia, but surrounding land remains in dispute. The Phnom Penh government has asked the court to rule on the 4.6-square kilometre of scrub near the temple. Meanwhile, an independent Dusit Poll conducted a survey on 1,477 people throughout Thailand between the period October 15 – 19, in which up to 46 percent of the total respondents said people should accept and respect the world court decision no matter what the outcome was. Another 66.5 per cent of the total respondents said they believed the ruling would benefit both countries while 33.9 per cent said they were concerned about the safety of people living near the border because of fighting which might occur in the area. (TNA)