Cambodia, Thailand reach Preah Vihear deal
22/12/2011
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post
Thai and Cambodian military authorities have agreed to withdraw their troops from a provisional demilitarised zone near the Preah Vihear temple and let Indonesian observers supervise the area.
The agreement was made at the 8th meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) in Phnom Penh yesterday.
"Both sides will withdraw all troops from existing positions [in the demilitarised zone] simultaneously under the observation of Indonesian observers," they said in a joint statement after the meeting.
A military source said the Cambodian side asked its Thai counterpart to withdraw troops by Jan 20, but the Thai side refused to accept it.
Instead the Thai side proposed the setting up of a joint working group to discuss details of the troop withdrawal, and Cambodia agreed with it.
The source said border patrol police of the two countries will be deployed to replace troops in the 17.3 square kilometre demilitarised zone in accordance with the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) provisional order.
The source said each country would deploy more than 1,000 border patrol police to replace the troops despite the fact they claimed earlier they would send about 400 border patrol police each.
Cambodia proposed that both countries immediately follow the provisional demilitarised zone order of the ICJ, welcome Indonesian observers and withdraw soldiers from the zone, of which 8.5 sq km is in Thailand and 8.8 sq km is in Cambodia, under the supervision of the observers.
The Thai side agreed with the proposal.
The agreement is just one crucial resolution bearing fruit at the GBC meeting, co-chaired by Thai Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Banh.
Gen Yutthasak said he will propose the result of the meeting to the cabinet for consideration next week.
He said the joint working group would meet in Bangkok next month to discuss details of the troop withdrawal, the deployment of observers and the relocation of Cambodian markets and communities from the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda.
"We are not delaying the ICJ's order, in fact we are abiding by it," Gen Yutthasak said.
He insisted Thailand will not lose sovereignty and territory from any decision made at the GBC meeting.
He said Gen Tea Banh had also apologised to Thailand after Cambodian troops last week fired on an unarmed Thai helicopter along the Thai-Cambodian border near Trat province.
this is a very productive meeting. please continue to work together to solve our differences and foster cooperation in all fields between cambodia and thailand. who says we can't be good neighbors! it takes respect for both to cooperate and work amicably together in order to create a peaceful, beneficial borders for both people and both countries. please keep on the good work.
ReplyDeleteAs long as they don't claim Preah Vihear and the area surrounding it, we can be friends. Also, don't ask for joint management. Not going to happen. 2 chefs will make a lousy soup. A husband cannot share a wife.
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