BANGKOK — The top judicial body of the United Nations on Monday sought to defuse tensions at a Southeast Asian flash point, ordering Cambodia and Thailand to withdraw troops from a disputed temple and establishing a demilitarized zone along their mountainous border.
The two countries have fought each other numerous times in recent years near Preah Vihear, an ancient hilltop temple that stirs nationalist sentiments in both countries.
The court order to “immediately withdraw” military personnel from around the temple was an international legal obligation “with which both Parties were required to comply,” according to a statement released by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Judges at the U.N. court ruled 11-5 in favor of the withdrawal.
