Cambodia delays Thailand’s call for landmine clearance and scam crackdown
Experts doubt Cambodian compliance with border peace agreement
Despite a ceasefire agreement aimed at bringing peace to the border between the two countries, Cambodia reportedly rejected proposals for landmine clearance and a crackdown on call centre scams, suggesting instead that the issues be postponed to the next discussions.
Representatives from Thailand and Cambodia attended an extraordinary session of the General Border Committee (GBC) in Malaysia yesterday, August 7, to find solutions to ongoing border tensions and to prevent further military clashes in the area.
The meeting ended on a positive note, with both countries agreeing to the ceasefire deal. Each nation is required to follow the 13 points set out in the agreement to ensure long-term peace and the safety of civilians along the border.
However, Acting Defence Minister General Nattaphon Nakpanich revealed that he had proposed two additional points during the meeting, the clearance of landmines along the border and the dismantling of a Cambodia-based call centre scam network, but both issues were deferred to the next GBC meeting.
Nevertheless, Nattaphon reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to honest and sincere cooperation, as well as to maintaining dialogue on the basis of good neighbourly relations, expressing hope that Cambodia would do the same.
He also referred to residents in emergency shelters in border provinces, noting that the situation varied from province to province. As a result, the government assigned local military commanders and administrative officials to assess whether it was safe for residents to return home.
Channel 7 reported that some academics have expressed doubt that Cambodia will adhere to the agreement. Foreign affairs and security expert, Panithan Wattanayakorn, stated that additional pressure measures may need to be applied under the ASEAN mechanism if Cambodia fails to comply with the agreement.
Panithan explained that while mutual trust is a normal part of diplomacy, complete trust is rarely achievable in practice, and additional mechanisms should be put in place to ensure the best possible outcome.
Former Deputy Government Spokesperson Weerachon Sukondhapatipark told the media that the primary goal of the talks is to restore peace to the border area, allowing people to return to lives as close to normal as possible, with only the remaining damage to repair.
He stressed that there must be no violence, conflicts should be reduced, peace should be preserved, people must be kept safe, and morale in the area must be improved. Negotiations and other agreements, he added, are matters for the future.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
