Thai-Cambodian group to discuss border security

Tuesday, Apr 03, 2012
The Nation/Asia News Network

Surapong also told Marty that Thailand would host a meeting of the Thailand-Cambodia joint working group from today till Friday in Bangkok to discuss the matter, Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said.

The working group was set up in December in accordance with an agreement by the General Border Committee (GBC) to take care of border security at disputed areas adjacent to the HinduKhmer temple.

The working group meeting in Bangkok this week would discuss the general security situation, plus confidence building measures between the two neighbours and compliance with the ICJ's order, Thani said.

Thailand and Cambodia to implement ICJ order

22/12/2011
Source: Thai gov't
http://media.thaigov.go.th/pageconfig/viewcontent/viewcontent1e.asp?pageid=472&directory=1944&contents=63533

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to implement the ICJ order on provisional border measures, and in the meantime a joint working group will be set up to oversee troop withdrawals from the newly defined demilitarised zone, according to Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh.

Defence Minister Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa led the Thai delegates to co-chair the meeting with his Cambodian counterpart Gen Tea Bahn at the 8th Thai-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC) in Phnom Penh.

Gen Tea Banh said at the joint press conference that the meeting ran smoothly with a warm atmosphere which showed the good relations between the two neighbouring countries and increased the trust which both parties hope will lead to peace and stability along the border. The Cambodian general said that the GBC agreed to implement the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order related to the provisional measures.

Cambodian and Thai Defense Ministers agreed on DMZ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tueCUCOokLE

Thai defense chief arrives in Cambodia for troop pullout talks

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Thai Defense Minister Gen. Yuthasak Sasiprapha, accompanied by the Army Chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha and other Thai senior defense officials, arrived here on Wednesday morning for the 8th meeting of Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC).

The delegation arrived here by a special aircraft of Royal Thai Air Force. At the Phnom Penh International Airport, the minister was welcomed by Cambodian four-star Gen. Neang Phat, secretary of state of the Ministry of Defense and other high-ranking military officials.

The visiting Yuthasak and his Cambodian counterpart Gen. Tea Banh will chair the 8th GBC meeting, said Neang Phat.

GBC adjusts timeline for Preah Vihear talks

Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

High-ranking military officials from Cambodia and Thailand would today discuss withdrawing troops from the demilitarised zone around Preah Vihear temple, but it would be up to defence ministers to set a time frame for the exit, a general told the Post yesterday.

General Neang Phat, secretary of state at Cambodia’s Ministry of Defence, is chairing the two-day joint secretariat meeting of the Cambodia-Thai General Border Committee, which began yesterday.

The meeting was designed to review progress reports on border relations and co-operation between the two countries and to serve as preparat-ion for tomorrow’s meeting of the eighth GBC, he said.

“We will also talk about setting a time frame for troop redeployment from the provisional demilitarised zone near the Preah Vihear temple to comply with the order of the ICJ [which was delivered on July 18],” Neang Phat said.

Thai Army Chief to join Thai delegates at Thai-Cambodian border meeting

Prayuth

BANGKOK, Dec 20 (MCOT online news) - Army chief Gen Prayuth Chano-cha on Tuesday said he will join the Thai delegation led by Defense Minister Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa attend the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) to be held in Cambodia tomorrow.

He said the meeting will discuss 17 key issues to boost peace along the Thai-Cambodian border and learn the Cambodian stance in compliance with the injunction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The ICJ on July 18 ordered Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw their troops from the newly defined demilitarised zone in a disputed portion of their border around the historic Preah Vihear temple while urging both countries to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to agree to allow the regional bloc's observers to enter the disputed zone.

[Thai] Defence ready for GBC meeting

Yutthasak Sasiprapa

2/12/2011
Bangkok Post

The Defence Ministry is ready for the next General Border Committee meeting with Cambodia, Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said yesterday.

He said the ministry is working with Cambodia on scheduling the meeting which is expected to take place this month.

Gen Yutthasak said the meeting's framework has been discussed with the Foreign Ministry which would also join the Thai delegation to the GBC meeting in Cambodia.

The defence minister's comments followed a Cambodian news report the Cambodian defence ministry had sent an invitation to its Thai counterpart to attend the GBC meeting.

Thailand, Cambodia to discuss troop redeployment in December

BANGKOK, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) meeting will be held in December in Cambodia to discuss in further detail the redeployment of military along both countries'border, Thailand's state-run media MCOT quoted Defence Minister Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa as saying on Monday.

Related Thai authorities are waiting for Phnom Penh to confirm details of the talks, Gen Yutthasak said. The content that Thai delegations will bring up for the discussion has been already approved by the Parliament as required by Article 190 of the 2007 Constitution, he added.

In March following deadly clashes along the two countries' border, Cambodia asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to reconsider its 1962 verdict and to issue provisional measures during the reinterpretation. The court on July 18 ordered Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw their troops from the newly- defined demilitarized zone in a disputed area around the ancient Preah Vihear Temple.

Thailand, Cambodia agree to withdraw troops on border

Yutthasak: Hopeful talks will succeed

Yutthasak says soldiers to be replaced by police

17/11/2011
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

Thailand has agreed in informal talks with Cambodia that both sides will withdraw their troops from the overlapping border near the Preah Vihear temple site after the General Border Committee meeting in December.

The talks on the replacement of troops in the 17.3 square kilometre area along the border, marked as the demilitarised zone, is among five issues the two countries will finalise at the next soldier-to-soldier meeting of the GBC, Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said.

He was referring to recent negotiations with Cambodian Defence Minster Tea Banh.

"We've talked about the five issues and informally agreed to approve them all at the meeting," Gen Yutthasak said.

Thailand, Cambodia to solve border dispute through GBC: Thai defence minister

PHNOM PENH, Sept 24 (MCOT) - Thai Defence Minister Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa said Thailand and Cambodia agreed to solve its prolonged border dispute through the existing framework and that the Thai government is prepared to seek the release of two Thai activists now detained in Cambodian jail on charges of espionage.

The Thai defence minister made his remarks as he returned from the visit to the neighbouring country on Friday and met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Cambodian counterpart Gen Tea Banh to boost bilateral ties between the two kingdoms.

Gen Yutthasak said both countries will plan to hold talks on the arrangements for the Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) upcoming meeting.

The Committee from both sides will lay out the agenda and the framework of the meeting which would include the disputed border area near Preah Vihear temple, the withdrawal of troops and other considerations.

Defence minister visits Cambodia

Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)

23/09/2011
Bangkok Post

Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa on Friday morning left for Phnom Penh for an official visit to Cambodia at the invitation of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Tia Banh, reports said.

Gen Yutthasak said before leaving that his visit is for strengthening ties between the two countries and paving way for a meeting of the General Border Committee to settle the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.

“If everything is ready, the GBC meeting will be held immediately. I insist that there will be no hidden agenda or any vested interest during the meeting”, he said.

[Thai defense minister] Yutthasak to visit Cambodia Sept 23-24

6/09/2011
Bangkok Post

Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said on Tuesday he plans to make an official visit to Cambodia on Sept 23-24 when a broad framework for the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting may be raised for discussion.

He had contacted his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh to inform him of the tentative schedule for the visit.

Gen Yutthasak said the framework for the GBC meeting needs to be worked out in advance because the Thai side has to seek approval from the cabinet, and some issues for further agreements may have to first go through parliament as required by Section 190 of the constitution.

[Thai] Army chief, [Thai] defence minister visit Thai-Cambodian border

BANGKOK, Aug 19 (MCOT online news) – The army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha accompanied Defence Minister Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa to visit troops stationed at the Thai-Cambodian border and to get firsthand information on the current situation in preparation for the coming General Border Committee (GBC) meeting.

Gen Prayuth gave an interview before leaving for the northeastern province of Si Sa Ket to boost morale of the soldiers assigned to the area.

He said the Regional Border Committee (RBC) Secretariat will meet Aug 23-25 and the regional meeting will be held Aug 26-27.

Thai defence ministry gears up for border meeting with Cambodia

Thursday, 18 August 2011
MCOT

BANGKOK, Aug 16 – Thai Defence Minister Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapa is set to meet his Cambodian counterpart Gen Tea Banh in the General Border Committee (GBC) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to settle the border disputes with the neighbouring country.

Gen Yutthasak said on Tuesday that he had received an invitation to attend the Thai-Cambodian GBC meeting and had ordered the director-general of the Border Affairs Department under the Supreme Command who serves as secretariat to coordinate preparations for the meeting.

A Thai-Cambodian Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting to lay out the framework for two countries GBC meeting will be held as soon as possible so the higher level border meeting will take place, he said.

Cambodian, Thai GBC Meeting To Be Held

PHNOM PENH, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Thursday the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Commission meeting can be held bilaterally, except the talks on the provisional demilitarized zone of about 17 kilometers surrounding the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The GBC meeting will be held between Cambodian and Thai defence ministers without the presence of Indonesia after the visit of the new Thai defence minister (Yutthasak Sasiprapa) to Cambodia," he said during a graduation ceremony of students at the Human Resources University.

"But when saying about the 17 kilometers of the provisional demilitarized area defined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), it's necessary to have the presence of Indonesia," he said.

However, he added, "If the Indonesia, Asean chair, has not attended the meeting, Cambodia and Thailand have to report her and the International Court of Justice about the results of the meeting."

"And when Cambodia and Thailand agree to withdraw troops from the area of 17 kilometers, there must be the presence of Indonesia too," he said.

Cambodia invites Thailand's new foreign, defense ministers to visit

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 10 Kyodo - Cambodia extended an olive branch to the new Thai government Wednesday by inviting its foreign and defense ministers to visit, with a view to improving bilateral ties that were severely strained under Thailand's previous government over a border dispute that erupted into clashes.

On the diplomatic front, Foreign Minister Hor Namhong invited Thailand's new foreign minister, Surapong Tovichakchaikul, to pay an official visit to Cambodia in the near future.

''I have full confidence that with our joint endeavor, you and I will be able to fulfill the aspiration of our two peoples to live in harmony and shared prosperity,'' he said in his invitation.

Yutthasak: Yingluck should ask Hun Sen to resume border talks

Yuthasak Sasiprapha

August 10, 2011
The Nation

Newly-appointed Defence Minister Gen Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapha said Wednesday that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra should hold a talk with her Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen to resume border talks.

Yutthasak said Hun Sen has friendly stand toward Yingluck so she could talk to him to seek a green light for Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh to hold a meeting of the Thai-Cambodian General border Committee.

Yutthasak said if Hun Sen gives a green light, he will invite Tea Banh to have a dinner in Bangkok and he will later travel to hold a GBC talk in Cambodia.

Yutthasak said he known Tea Banh since he was the permanent secretary for Defence.

[Thai] Defense Council: Use GBC to Negotiate Troop Withdrawal

29 July 2011
Thai-ASEAN News Network

The Defense Council recommends the withdrawal of Thai and Cambodian troops from the disputed area around the Preah Vihear Temple to be discussed at the next meeting of the General Border Committee.

Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Thanathip Sawangsaeng disclosed yesterday after a meeting of the Defense Council that the council suggested the government to negotiate with Cambodia through the General Border Committee on the troop withdrawal from the vicinity of the Preah Vihear Temple as ordered by the International Court of Justice.

Thanathip further said that the existing bilateral mechanisms with Cambodia will be used to talk about the matter and negotiations are needed to create better understanding between the two countries.

Prawit: No new fighting [with Cambodia] expected (sic!)

27/06/2011
Wassana Nanuam
Bangkok Post

It was unlikely there would be any more fighting between Thai and Cambodian forces along the border because soldiers on both sides preferred to settle dispute through talks, Defence Mininster Gen Prawit Wongsuwon said on Monday.

Gen Prawit said the military stood ready to defend the country's sovreignty. Surveilland had been stepped up along the border.

''Don't worry. What is ours, will remain ours,'' said the defence minister.

Asked whether Thailand's policy towards Cambodia is to be defensive only, Gen Prawit said that is what the military can do at the moment.

Thailand, Cambodia plan border meeting before June

23/05/2011
VNA/VOV News

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to hold the general border committee (GBC) meeting late this month in order to strengthen cooperation on ensuring security for people living along the border area.

The spokesperson of the Thai Defence Ministry, Thanathip Saengsawang, has said that Defence Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia are expected to attend the meeting, which will take place earlier than the initial schedule of early June. However, the decision on the meeting venue has not yet been made.

Earlier, Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh said that border dispute settlement between the two countries has seen progress after talks between him and his Thai counterpart, Prawit Wongsuwon on the sidelines of the 5th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia.

As soon as the Indonesian survey team arrives at the border near Preah Vihear temple, Cambodia will hold the GBC meeting with Thailand bilaterally without Indonesian presence, Tea Banh said.

The Thai side demanded Indonesia to issue an announcement about the dispatch of the survey team to the conflict border in proper time and suggested that the dress as civilians.