From April 15-19, the hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the Thai-Cambodian dispute over the Preah Vihear Temple took place in the Netherlands. Cambodia made its opening argument on April 15 followed by Thailand two days later. Each side then made additional arguments. The court retired after the April 19 session, and is expected to give its verdict by October.
Cambodia has petitioned the ICJ to interpret its 1962 ruling, and decide whether it includes territory surrounding the temple. The ICJ awarded the temple itself to Cambodia, but did not dictate ownership of the area around the temple itself which is claimed by both countries.
Although the ruling was reached in 1962, the conflict over Preah Vihear has continued to be politicized, specifically in the context of Thailand's domestic politics. To undermine the Thaksin-backed regime of Samak Sundaravej in 2008, the royalist "yellow shirts" exploited the Preah Vihear issue to achieve their purpose.