BANGKOK, April 6 (MCOT online news) -- Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya said Wednesday the decision on whether or not to attend the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) meeting to be held in Indonesia rests with the Thai military brass themselves.
Past GBC meetings were held both in Thailand and Cambodia, but the military of both countries still had not agreed on whether to allow Indonesian observers to be posted to the disputed 4.6 square-kilometre zone in order to prevent clashes from reoccurring. It is up to the Thai military themselves to decide on whether they attend the meeting in Indonesia, Mr Kasit said.
His remarks were made after Supreme Commander Gen Songkitti Jaggabatara said Tuesday that Thai army officers would not attend the GBC meeting and that Thailand would not allow Indonesian observers to be present at the disputed border.
Indonesia, currently chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), called earlier for both the Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission and GBC meetings to be held tomorrow and Friday in Bogor, Indonesia.
The arrangement was part of an agreement to settle the boundary conflict between the two ASEAN neighbours and included a plan to dispatch Indonesian observers to the disputed area adjacent to the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
Gen Songkitti added that the Thai army is ready to attend the GBC meeting in Cambodia when the right time and place comes.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, responsible for national security affairs, meanwhile, said the GBC meeting is held annually and the two neighbouring countries take turns to host it.
“If the meeting does not adhere to the commitment then it is the duty of the (Thai) military to negotiate and display the right stance,” Mr Suthep added.
1 comment:
Decision on whether to release the pair: Veera Somkwamkid and his secretary in Prey Sar, Phnom Penh is up to Cambodia. Thai gov't should never bark like a dot to request for release, unless my fart is not quite smell nasty to the world. May Jesus kill all Thais and their king soon by flooding to all states.
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