Thai Defence Minister leads military chiefs to Cambodian border session

BANGKOK, April 28 (TNA) - Defence Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan on Tuesday led Thailand’s military chiefs to participate the 6th Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) in Siam Reap through Wednesday.

Supreme Commander Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara and the Royal Thai Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs accompanied the defence minister to also attend the meeting.

Gen. Prawit said before leaving for Cambodia that 17 general border issues relating to the two countries would be raised at the meeting including trade and public health.

Channels to lead to the peaceful everyday living on the part of the peoples of both countries will be discussed at the meeting, he said.

However, the defence minister said, the border disputes themselves are not be on the agenda of the bilateral talks on Tuesday and Wednesday as there is another Thai-Cambodian joint committee to tackle the problem.

"If there is any problem, I can make direct telephone call to Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh," he said.

He added that the talks on the two countries’ border disputes will continue as the two countries still have different maps on the disputed area.

Gen. Prawit also added that he is not assigned to discuss with the Cambodian delegation regarding the status of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who reportedly holds a Cambodian passport.

The issue was the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said, adding that, the defence ministry would find the ways for the two countries' people to live peacefully and support cross-border trade at the border checkpoints.