Wednesday, 22 October 2008

Thailand protests Cambodian troop deployment at Thai, Cambodian, Lao tri-border

BANGKOK, Oct 22 (TNA) - Thailand has protested to Cambodia against the deployment of Cambodian troops at the Trimuk Pavilion (Sala Trimuk) near the tri-border point where Thai, Cambodia and Lao land boundaries meet.

Director-General Virachai Plasai of the Thai Foreign Ministry's Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs met Tuesday with Cambodian Charge d'Affairs to Thailand Ouk Sophoin at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present an aide-memoire on a September 18 occurrance, during which seven fully-armed Cambodian troops were deployed at Trimuk Pavilion (Sala Trimuk), near the tri-junction point where the three countries' land boundaries meet.

According to the diplomatic note, Thailand expressed its concern over the unnecessary tension caused by such a deployment of troops by Cambodia into a boundary which is yet to be demarcated and still subject to tripartite negotiation among Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

Thailand reiterated its commitment to settle boundary issues with Cambodia fairly through peaceful means under the existing framework of the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC).

In the note Thailand asked Cambodia to promptly withdraw its troops from the Trimuk Pavilion area and refrain from further troop deployments in the area to preserve goodwill and trust between the two countries pending completion of the boundary demarcation.

In addition, Thailand informed Cambodia that on Tuesday the cabinet confirmed the appointment of Vasin Teeravechyan, former ambassador to the Republic of Korea, as Chairman of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundaries (JBC).

It was also expected that Thailand's House of Representatives will consider the negotiating framework on the provisional arrangement between Thailand and Cambodia and the negotiating framework of the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) next week. (TNA)

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