KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring the peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia holds despite the latest landmine incident at the border, says Armed Forces chief Jeneral Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar.
He said as coordinator of the peace accord between the two neighbouring countries, Malaysia wanted to see the peace process and ceasefire agreement move forward as planned.
“The main objective is to ensure that the peace agreement and bilateral relations between Thailand and Cambodia can be achieved.
“It is our responsibility as part of Asean to assist one another and ensure that peace is maintained,” he said when contacted yesterday.
On Monday, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered an immediate suspension of the Thai-Cambodia peace declaration signed in Kuala Lumpur following a landmine blast that injured Thai soldiers in Si Sa Ket province bordering Cambodia.
Speaking at the Royal Thai Police headquarters, Anutin said he had been informed of the incident in the Second Army Area and had instructed the Defence and Foreign ministries to act strictly in line with Thailand’s national interests.
“What we have been pursuing must now be put on hold until clarity is restored,” he was quoted as saying, adding that the incident demonstrated ongoing hostility against Thailand’s security and sovereignty.
Mohd Nizam said Malaysia’s stance was to ensure the peace process continued, noting that any delay could risk a return to previous tensions between the two countries.
“We are also aware of the recent landmine explosion incident, and it will require a cooling-off period to determine the actual cause,” he added.
On the status of the Asean Observer Team (AOT) following the incident, he said the team has not been allowed to approach the affected area.
“The AOT is stationed about 40km from the blast site. If tensions escalate to the level seen before the peace agreement, both observer teams from Thailand and Cambodia will be instructed to return to Bangkok and Phnom Penh respectively,” he said.
Mohd Nizam added Thailand’s National Security Council was meeting to discuss the next steps for the peace agreement, with the Thai AOT present.
