PETALING JAYA: The United States will provide US$45mil in assistance to Cambodia and Thailand to support peace efforts between both countries, says Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael G. DeSombre.
He said of the amount, US$15mil will be provided for border stabilisation to help communities to recover and to support displaced persons.
He added that US$10mil will be for demining and unexploded ordnance clearing operations and US$20mil for initiatives that will help both countries combat scam operations and drug trafficking, among many other programmes.
“The restoration of peace at the Thai-Cambodia border also opens new opportunities for the United States to deepen our work with both countries to promote regional stability and advance our interests in a safer, stronger and more prosperous Indo-Pacific,” he said during a press briefing yesterday.
On the disbursement of funds, he said the information will be relayed to Thailand and Cambodia soon.
“We are very committed to ensuring that the aid will be used to take care of displaced persons at the border and focus on demining and scam centres that have been the cause of lots of disruption in the region and in the United States,” he said.
DeSombre added that the United States will continue supporting the Cambodian and Thai governments for the implementation of the peace accord and pave the way for a return to peace, prosperity and stability for their people and the region.
On Oct 26 last year, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet signed a peace deal on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and US President Donald Trump as witnesses.
