TRAT, Thailand – The Royal Thai Navy reported that Thailand and Cambodia held a special Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting today (Aug 16) in Trat province to address border security, landmine clearance, and cross-border crime. The session, convened under the framework of the General Border Committee (GBC), was co-chaired by Vice Admiral Apichart Sapprasert, Commander of the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defense Command, and Major General Ouy Heang, Commander of Cambodia’s 3rd Military Region.
Discussions involved measures to resolve border issues through peaceful means and safeguard the well-being of communities living along the frontier. The meeting concluded with both parties signing the official record of the meeting, which reaffirmed the role of dialogue in maintaining stability between the two countries.
Thailand reiterated its adherence to pursuing solutions through peaceful methods consistent with international norms. The Thai delegation also proposed joint landmine clearance to improve civilian safety and more substantial cooperation to curb cross-border scam operations that have posed risks to both nations.
The Navy reported that Cambodia has so far provided only limited cooperation on these matters. While the talks proceeded in a constructive atmosphere, Cambodia did not give concrete approval to the proposals raised by Thailand.
Thai officials expressed hope that Cambodia will show greater goodwill in upcoming discussions, especially in supporting efforts to remove remaining landmines and in strengthening action against criminal networks operating along the shared border. (NNT)
