Final Draft Notes
Main Research Question: To what extent was the United Nations involved in the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict?
Sub Research Question 1: What were the ICJi’s ruling in 1962 and 2013, were they effective in resolving the issue?
Sub Research Question 2: What conflict resolution mechanisms have the UN initiated in dealing with the border conflict?
Ajudication: issues relating to peace and security may take place in the International Court of Justice for hearing of both parties and a binding ruling.
The ICJ was utilized in
1962: over the sovereignty of the temple
2013: over the sovereignty of the vicinity around the temple
Preventive diplomacy (approach to peaceful settlement introduced by Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in the late 1950s) prevent existing disputes from escalating into conflicts through diplomatic means.
UNSC meetings and statements, truce between the two countries, and for them to open to solving the matter peacefully
UN’s recognition of Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, recognizing the rights of regional organization to resolve issue (ASEAN)
February of 2018, the two countries as well as ASEAN’s Chair, Dr Marty Natalegawa(Indonesian ASEAN chair), were invited to the New York United Nations headquater. (asean-chair-invited-to-unsc-meeting-on-cambodian-thai-border-dispute). The UN meeting on 21st of February concluded that the two countries should continue to resolve the conflict through the ASEAN framework.
https://asean.org/asean-chair-invited-to-unsc-meeting-on-cambodian-thai-border-dispute/
Cambodia & Thailand allows Indonesian observers to prevent military conflict
1949: request
1961: acceptance of request
1962: 1st. cambodia is owner of temple
2nd. withdrawal of thai troops
3rd. return of ancient artifacts
2008: Attack cambodia because of world heritage
2011: cambodia request for 1962 be judged again
2018: cambodia, thailand, indonesia chair of ASEAN invited to UN for meeting
In the process of facilitating Cambodia and Thailand in resolving the border dispute, the United Nations has initialized a number of mechanisms to ensure a peaceful solution to the issue as well as
Secondly, another mechanism that the United Nations has pushed for the border dispute is the concept of Preventive Diplomacy. Preventive Diplomacy is the general practice of seeking ceasefire between conflicting states to prevent further escalation of aggression, limit the spread of warfare, and maintain international peace and security. In the case of Cambodia and Thailand dispute, in 2011, along side Cambodia’s request for ICJ reevaluation, the two country along with the Association of South East Asian Nations were present in a closed door meeting which concluded with a call for the two countries to begin a bilateral dialogue with one another to resolve the issue over the Hindu temple peacefully. A statement following the meeting stated, “The members of the Security Council further urged the parties to establish a permanent ceasefire and to implement it fully and resolve the situation peacefully and through effective dialogue,” (CNN). The United Nations has also showed the respect of the regional organization to manage it’s region’s conflict as well. In Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the UN recognizes the right of regional organization to resolve issues before it is sent to the UN. In accordance with the Charter, the UN did involve the the chair of ASEAN as well as the association itself in dealings of the conflicts. In the Aforementioned meeting, in which the representatives of ASEAN were present, the United Nations has endorsed the two countries to continue cooperating with ASEAN and it’s framework and to maintain a ceasefire, which later on lead to the acceptance of Indonesian observers from both countries to monitor the conflict (ASEAN, 2011). As the conflict was still not resolved, in 2013, the dispute was pushed forward for the United Nations themselves to deal with.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/02/14/un.cambodia.thailand/index.html
https://asean.org/asean-chair-invited-to-unsc-meeting-on-cambodian-thai-border-dispute/
Overall, the United Nations did take on several approaches to deal with the military conflict, in preventing an escalation of warfare and issue formal judgements for the both countries. However, these are half