ASEAN has expressed support for bilateral talks between Thailand and Cambodia

BANGKOK, 22 February 2011 (NNT) – ASEAN has expressed support for bilateral talks between Thailand and Cambodia to solve their border conflict while representatives will be stationed in border areas to help monitor the situation.

Following the Informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held today in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced the meeting’s resolution to have Thailand and Cambodia engage in bilateral negotiations as proposed by the former party, whether they be under the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC), the General Border Committee (GBC) or the Regional Border Committee (RBC).

In addition, Mr Abhisit said Indonesia, as the current Chair of ASEAN, would dispatch its officials to the border areas on both sides to help keep vigilance on the situation to ensure no further confrontation. The Thai Prime Minister deemed the move beneficial for Thailand as it would prove to the international community that the country had never attacked its neighbor first.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya elaborated that Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia would each be required to appoint 15 officials for the border surveillance. He said after returning from Jakarta, he would promptly coordinate with Defense Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan on related procedures.

With ASEAN’s demand for an end to the border dispute through a bilateral mechanism, Cambodia now has no option but to obey. However, no responses have been received from the country regarding its participation in the upcoming JBC meeting scheduled for 27 February in Bangkok.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is set to send a team of Japanese specialists to both Bangkok and Phnom Penh later this week in an effort to listen to both sides of the story concerning a series of clashes between the two countries early this month.