Thailand, Cambodia agree to boost border security cooperation

MCOT

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Aug 24 -- Thailand and Cambodia agreed Wednesday at the Thai-Cambodian Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting to boost cooperation between the police and military of the two countries to ensure peace along border.

The 15th RBC meeting in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima was co-chaired by Lt-Gen Thawatchai Samutsakhon, Second Region Army Area commander responsible for security affairs in Thailand’s northeastern region, and Cambodia’s Fourth Army commander Lt-Gen Chea Mon.

Gen Thawatchai told reporters after the first of the two-day meeting that both parties had reached an unofficial conclusion to step up cooperation between police and military of the two countries to provide security at the border, patrol the border area and crack down on illicit drugs in crossborder trafficking.

They have also agreed to develop the quality of life of local residents, support public health, agriculture, tourism, education, tradition and to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.

As for the troop redeployment, Gen Thawatchai said that the meeting discussed only the initial framework and agreed not to disclose details of the issue, which would first be forwarded to their superiors. Then the discussed details would be presented to the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) meeting on Sept 8 in the Cambodian capital.

Any decision would depend on the GBC meeting and the solution at the meeting would be brought into action, Gen Thawatchai said.

"Be assured that the overall (RBC) talk was positive and from now on (I) believe that there would be no further clashes as a problem no longer exists," the senior Thai military officer said.