BANGKOK: Thailand and Cambodia will hold a two-day special session of their Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) in Chanthaburi province in eastern Thailand from Tuesday (Oct 21) to address border tensions and enhance cooperation on boundary demarcation and security.
Thai Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the session builds on previous discussions to ensure alignment with the frameworks of the General Border Committee (GBC) and the Regional Border Committee (RBC), with the aim of restoring peace and stability along the shared border.
"The main objective is to resolve Thai-Cambodian border issues through existing bilateral mechanisms.
"The JBC will discuss security measures, including the construction of border fences, the expediting of the revision of the 2003 Terms of Reference (TOR), and the application of LiDAR technology for mapping,” he told a press conference here on Monday.
He added that the discussions would also cover the issue of encroachment at Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaeo in Sa Kaeo province and assured that the JBC meeting would not compromise Thailand’s national rights.
Siripong stressed that operations at every level - the RBC, GBC, and JBC - would not be carried out by any single agency.
"Rather, they form part of the government’s strategic planning in coordination with security bodies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the maximum benefit for the country and its people,” he said.
Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, Rear Admiral Surasak Kongsiri, said the next GBC meeting will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct 23, with Malaysia and the United States participating as observers.
Tensions between the two neighbours over their 817-kilometre border escalated into a military confrontation in late July. Fighting ceased immediately following a ceasefire agreement brokered by Malaysia, as Asean Chair, in Putrajaya on July 28. – Bernama
