The International Court of Justice in Asia: Interpreting the Temple of Preah Vihear Case

A 2013 International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on the Temple of Preah Vihear case between Cambodia and Thailand reveals that Asian states prefer bilateral dispute resolution, particularly for smaller conflicts involving indivisible assets like temples or islands. This preference underscores a modest but significant role for judicial institutions in Asia, where only eight states have accepted the ICJ's compulsory jurisdiction, and nine have appeared before it. The narrowness of the decision highlights both the limited scope of judicial intervention in regional disputes and the potential for the ICJ to mediate intractable issues that cannot be resolved through bilateral means.

CHESTERMAN, S. (2014). The International Court of Justice in Asia: Interpreting the Temple of Preah Vihear Case. Asian Journal of International Law, 5(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1017/s204425131400006x