evidence: The hearings are the latest round in a centuries-old battle between the two countries over the contested area, located along Cambodia’s northern border with Thailand. Preah Vihear and the land in question are geographically small and remote but the clash over them has represented larger internal struggles of nationalism and domestic political posturing. For both Thailand and Cambodia, the question of the land surrounding Preah Vihear represents critical issues of sovereignty and national pride. [...] A2: Thailand and Cambodia have each controlled the area of Preah Vihear at different points since the construction of the temple in the 11th century by two Khmer kings. Both sides have disputed its ownership for hundreds of years. Cambodia took Thailand to the ICJ in 1962 to settle the dispute; the ICJ ruled that the temple was "situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia." Cambodia was shortly thereafter engulfed in the Vietnam War, followed by the brutal Khmer Rouge regime and a Vietnamese occupation, so Preah Vihear received little attention until recently. [...] Widespread protests erupted in both countries. On July 15, 2008, Thailand sent soldiers to Preah Vihear to reclaim the territory surrounding the temple. Cambodia responded by increasing its troop levels as well. The border near Preah Vihear became increasingly militarized and relations between Cambodia and Thailand deteriorated. By mid-July over 1,200 Cambodian and Thai troops patrolled the area.