a day ago
Cambodia withholds demining cooperation at Trat talks
Cambodia has yet to cooperate with Thailand on landmine clearance efforts and tackling cross-border scam networks, the Royal Thai Navy has concluded after a Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting on Saturday in Trat province.
The meeting, at the Barn Talaephu resort in Khlong Yai district, aimed to address and resolve border issues in the eastern provinces of Trat and Chanthaburi.
Along with regional border committee members, Vice-Adm Apichart Sapprasert, commander of the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command, met with Maj Gen Uy Hieng, commander of Cambodia's Military Region 3.
The meeting was taking place at the same time as Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa was leading a delegation of diplomats from 33 countries to Si Sa Ket province to inspect areas damaged by Cambodian ordnance and survey sites allegedly mined by Cambodian forces.
At the talks in Trat, the two sides signed an agreement on 'implementing the outcomes' of the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting on Aug 7, where the two countries signed a 13-point ceasefire agreement, said Rear Adm Paraj Ratanajaipan, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Navy.
The participants agreed to maintain regular communication between all army areas, military regions and units along the border, 'and to strive to resolve all issues peacefully while avoiding clashes', according to a statement released by the office of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
Details of the cooperation would be discussed in the next RBC meeting, the statement added.
Rear Adm Paraj emphasised that Thailand stood firm on its commitment to peaceful resolution of the dispute in line with international norms.
The Thai delegation proposed enhanced cooperation on clearing landmines along the border to ensure safety of all, he said.
Thailand also addressed joint efforts to suppress scam activities, for which Cambodia has so far shown limited cooperation.
'In Saturday's meeting, there was still no response from the Cambodian side on both issues,' Rear Adm Paraj said. 'We continue to hope that Cambodia will support the mission to clear remaining border landmines and combat scammers in the next meeting.'
The statement released by Hun Manet said that the RBC 'does not have a mandate to make decisions on demining', and the issue should be addressed at the next GBC meeting.
'As border demarcation is currently under way, demining can be considered in areas that are demarcated or in non-disputed areas, as agreed upon by the Joint Boundary Commissions (JBC) of the two countries,' the statement added.
