At the court, Hor Namhong requested the ICJ propose solutions to putan end to armed conflicts escalating in the disputed border area aroundPreah Vihear Temple .
He also appealed tothe Thailand side to respect Cambodia ’s territorial sovereigntyand withdraw its troops from the disputed area to ensure security andpeace and conserve the temple precinct.
Meanwhile,Kasit Piromya responded by saying that the court had no jurisdiction tointervene in the dispute, saying that Thailand accepted the 1962 rulingthat the temple was on Cambodian territory, but the disputed border areawas not part of the ruling.
The border disputeround the Preah Vihear Temple had escalated into a serious rift inrelations between Cambodia and Thailand in past years.
In 1962, for the first time Cambodia submitted the problem to the ICJafter a dispute caused tensions, including suspension of diplomaticrelations between the two countries./.