Thailand, Cambodia Agree To Implement World Court Border Order

[Lite Beer]

Thailand, Cambodia agree to implement World Court border order

PHNOM PENH, Dec21 -- Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to implement the World Court’s 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.

Thai 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.

He said a joint working group would be established to discuss the regulations that will apply to the demilitarised zone and that troop withdrawals will be carried out as soon as possible, with transparency, under the supervision of the joint observers of Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia, as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The demilitarised zone will be defined at a meeting to be held early next year in Thailand, he said.

The Cambodian minister said he could not say how many soldiers would be moved but it would be done as soon as possible. There was no discussion of the details of which forces would be replaced after the withdrawal.

However, he said the move would be done with transparency and equally by both parties.

Gen Yutthasak said that the eighth session of the border agency involved much discussion after not meeting for one year.

The discussion was carried out in a very good atmosphere and the implementation of the ICJ order would be equally fair, he said.

The World Court on July 18 ordered both 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 ASEAN to allow the regional bloc's observers to enter the disputed zone.

Gen Tea Banh said both sides had also agreed to support the attempt of the joint commission to demarcate maritime and land boundaries for good relations and mutual respect.

The GBC meeting has supported cooperation to prevent illegal activities along the border including drug smuggling, logging and the trade in contraband antiques.

More cooperation will be attempted regarding landmine clearing, promoting the well being of residents along the border and prevention of threats of diseases such as bird flu and HIV/AIDS.

Thailand will host next GBC meeting in 2012. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-12-21

[Moruya]

Carved up by the finest Hun Sen and Thaksin Shinawatra.

[Oberkommando]

Thaksin Shinawatra

*yawn*

[webfact]

THAI-KHMER TIES

Thailand, Cambodia agree to withdraw troops

Photo : Suphakit Khumkun

Thailand and Cambodia agreed yesterday to comply with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order to withdraw troops from the disputed border area near the Preah Vihear Temple following a meeting of the General Border Committee.

Both sides have also agreed to set up a Joint Working Group to work towards complete troop pullout from the provisional demilitarised zone (DMZ) determined by the ICJ, according to China's Xinhua news agency.

The meeting was chaired jointly by Defence Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapha and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Banh. A joint statement issued after the meeting said the group would work for a complete and simultaneous redeployment of the two countries' military personnel from their current positions in the DMZ "at the earliest" in a transparent manner under the watchful eyes of Cambo-dian, Thai and Indonesian observers. The Joint Working Group will comprise representatives designated by each side and convene a meeting at the earliest, it said, adding that Thailand had agreed to host the first meeting.

Both sides have also agreed to cooperate on clearing landmines in the DMZ, which covers some 17 square kilometres near Preah Vihear.

The court's injunction is pending an interpretation of the ICJ's 1962 ruling, requested by Cambodia to clarify whether the land in the vicinity of the temple comes under Cambodian sovereignty. In 1962, the court ruled that the temple is situated in Cambodia, but Thailand argued that it owns the area adjacent to the Preah Vihear.

-- The Nation 2011-12-22

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

But in the mean time they will just shoot choppers out of the sky...

[mrgreg]

I don't want to sound too pessimistic but my understanding of the article is that they did not agree on anything except having a meeting next year to talk about it.

[Fookhaht]

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.

Why did it take the throwing out of the army-backed Abhisit regime to finally see warm relations returning between the two countries? Methinks too much nationalistic diversion had to be created in recent years to divert attention from the country's real troubles. Governments do it all the time.

[whybother]

I don't want to sound too pessimistic but my understanding of the article is that they did not agree on anything except having a meeting next year to talk about it.

set up a Joint Working Group to work towards complete troop pullout

Be pessimistic.