KUALA LUMPUR: The withdrawal of heavy weapons from the Thai border has commenced, says the country’s Foreign Ministry’s deputy spokesperson Maratee Andamo.
She said the process follows the recent Joint Declaration between Thailand and Cambodia.
“The withdrawal of heavy weaponry applies to both Thailand and Cambodia and has started,” she told a press conference on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits here yesterday.
Maratee added that 18 Cambodian prisoners of war will undergo a thorough health check-up as part of their release.
The International Committee of the Red Cross will conduct the check-ups, in line with international standards and practices.
“The process (release) will not take many days. We will be watching this very closely this week for all concrete steps taken,” she said.
The peace declaration was signed by Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet on Sunday.
Witnessing the historic agreement were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and US President Donald Trump.
The peace pact marks a milestone in Asean’s regional diplomacy, reflecting its commitment to conflict prevention, stability and cooperation under Malaysia’s Asean 2025 chairmanship theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.
Thailand and Cambodia have long been in dispute over their 817km border with recent tensions flaring into a military confrontation on July 24.
