Thailand and Cambodia to hold joint border commission meeting soon

Cambodia and Thailand have scheduled a joint border commission meeting in Cambodia's capital city Phnom Penh on June 14, focusing on the border issues after a recent incident that resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier.

Both governments have engaged in close consultations at all levels following a brief exchange of gunfire on May 28 between Thai and Cambodian troops in the Emerald Triangle Area with the Laos.

In a release on Wednesday, spokesperson for Cambodian's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Chum Sounry said Cambodia is committed to resolving border issues peacefully through technical mechanisms and in accordance with international law.

Chum Sounry, also secretary of State, recalled that at a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on May 30, the foreign ministers of both countries agreed to uphold the spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding between Cambodia and Thailand on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary, and to utilize all existing mechanisms, Cambodian Press Agency or AKP reported.

After the border incident, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called for an urgent meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand Joint Border Commission to resume border demarcation work and address rising tensions in disputed areas while proposing that unresolved temple disputes be referred to the International Court of Justice — a motion that received the full support of both the National Assembly and the Senate on Monday, according to The Khmer Times.

Also on Wednesday, the Thai Prime Minister's Office issued a statement, saying it will resolve the problem in every dimension for Thailand through bilateral mechanisms. The statement noted that both governments have engaged in close consultations at all levels following the accident.

"With regard to questions that Cambodia may wish to resort to a judicial mechanism or a third party on this matter, Thailand, as Cambodia's neighbor, is committed to resolving bilateral issues through peaceful means, based on international law," said the Thai statement.

"Both sides have agreed to work together to restore the situation to normalcy and to prevent escalation, while also agreeing to make use of existing bilateral mechanisms to resolve the issue. In addition, both governments emphasized the importance of communicating with the public to prevent misunderstandings between the peoples of the two countries," the statement noted.

The Cambodian spokesperson also emphasized the country's commitment to transforming border areas with neighboring countries into zones of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development for the benefit of the respective countries and peoples, the AKP reported.

There are six permanent and 10 temporary checkpoints along the border between Thailand and Cambodia. According to the Thai statement, the overall situation along the Thai–Cambodian border remains calm and under control.

yangwanli@chinadaily.com.cn