evidence: Fears of clashes were high between Thai and Cambodian forces deployed near the contentious Preah Vihear temple, as the court in The Hague prepared its verdict. Skirmishes in 2011 resulted in 28 dead – soldiers and civilians – on both sides, and tens of thousands of people were forced to flee the fighting. [...] The Phreah Vihear temple has in the past been a cause célèbre for ultra-nationalists, helping them mobilise against previous incarnations of the current ruling party. Yingluck’s brother Thaksin, a former prime minister who fled the country following abuse of power convictions, is regarded as being close to Hun Sen, the Cambodian prime minister. [...] An International Court of Justice ruling that decisively turned over land surrounding Preah Vihear to Cambodia would have reinforced the perception that Thaksin and his allies, including Hun Sen, are exploiting Thailand for personal gain, placing the Yingluck administration under greater pressure.