Thai, Cambodian armies hold meeting on border issues

Bangkok/Phnom Penh, Aug 16 (IANS) Thailand and Cambodia confirmed on Saturday that army representatives of the two countries held a special meeting of the Thailand-Cambodia Regional Border Committee (RBC) in Thailand's Trat province on the same day.

According to the Thai Navy, the commander of Chanthaburi and Trat border defence command of the Thai side and the commander of Cambodia's military region 3 held the meeting to settle relevant issues through peaceful means, thus maintaining peace in border areas and well-being of the peoples of both countries.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding following the meeting, the Thai Navy said, Xinhua news agency reported.

Cambodian Defence Ministry's Undersecretary of State and spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said on Saturday that chiefs of Cambodian and Thai military regions held a special meeting on the same day to discuss border issues following a ceasefire.

This meeting reaffirmed the importance of maintaining regular communication between armed forces of military regions of the two countries as well as between border defence units of the two sides, striving to resolve issues peacefully and avoiding confrontations, she said.

Cambodia hoped that the meeting would enhance full and effective implementation of the ceasefire agreement, helping restore peace, stability and normalcy in border areas, she added.

On Thursday, an ASEAN Interim Observer Team (IOT) visited Cambodia-Thailand border areas.

Led by Malaysian military attache to Cambodia, the IOT, comprised of military attaches from Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam, visited villages in Banteay Meanchey province, where Thai armed forces set up barbed wire and placed tyres, as well as some border checkpoints, according to Cambodian Defence Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata.

"Once again, Cambodia calls on Thailand to uphold the spirit of the ceasefire in order to achieve a peaceful resolution to the issue in accordance with the principle of international law, ensuring a just, impartial and fair outcome that will bring peace and prosperity to both nations and peoples," Socheata said in a press briefing.

Armed clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces errupted on July 24 along their border. The two ASEAN member states agreed to a ceasefire on the afternoon of July 28, which took effect at midnight on the same day.

--IANS

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