On 15 April 2013 after the conclusion of the first day of the public hearings in the Case Concerning the Request for Interpretation of the Judgment of 15 June 1962 in the Case Concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand) at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Mr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Phongtep Tepkanjana, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, and Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat, Minister of Defence, held a press conference to brief the media on the main points in Cambodia’s oral arguments as follows:

- During today’s proceedings, Cambodia presented its counter-arguments to Thailand’s Further Written Explanations submitted to the Court last year, and argued that, in requesting the Court to interpret the 1962 Judgment, Cambodia had no intention of appealing or altering the Judgment, but only asked the Court to define the terms “territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia” and the Temple’s “vicinity” contained therein.

- Cambodia also attempted to show that Cambodia and Thailand interpret the Judgment differently and that the “Annex I Map” is inseparable from the operative parts of the Judgment, therefore satisfying the conditions for interpretation, and such interpretation would not be possible without referring to the map.  Cambodia also argued that the Court had already recognized that the lines on the map constitute the frontier between Cambodia and Thailand.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong said that Cambodia’s oral arguments follow directly from its written submissions to the Court, and that Thailand is ready to present its counter-arguments, especially on the implementation of the Judgment.
   
Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Phongthep also added that Cambodia was trying to convince the Court that Thailand’s implementation of the Judgment was based on its unilateral understanding of the Judgment, in particular the putting up of a barbed-wire fence, following the line set out in the Thai Cabinet’s Resolution of 10 July 1962, which Cambodia found unacceptable.  He affirmed, however, that on 17 April 2013, Thailand will present solid and convincing evidence in response to Cambodia’s arguments.