Cambodia agrees to attend boundary meet

via CAAI

Published: 9/03/2011 

Newspaper section: News

Cambodia has agreed to attend a Joint Boundary Commission meeting with Thailand later this month, the Foreign Affairs Ministry says.

Spokesman Thani Thongpakdi yesterday said Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, as this year's Asean chairman, had informed the ministry of Cambodia's decision.

The planned JBC meeting, which should have taken place on Feb 27, had to be postponed after Cambodia said it wanted the international community to intervene in the border dispute between the two countries.

The role of the JBC meetings is primarily to discuss the border situation, but the next one will also cover the terms of reference regarding a proposal to send a delegation of Indonesian observers to the disputed areas. Further details of the format, the date and the venue of the meeting would be determined later, Mr Thani said.

The deferment was agreed at the meeting of all 10 Asean foreign ministers in Jakarta on Feb 22.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday promised to step up efforts to help secure the release of Thai Patriots Network coordinator Veera Somkwankid, detained at Prey Sar prison in Phnom Penh for spying and illegal entry.

Mr Abhisit spoke after Veera's mother, Mrs Wilaiwan, and younger brother, Mr Preecha, met him at Government House to ask for his help.

Mr Abhisit said the government would contact the Cambodian government to ask for Veera, who was reported to be seriously ill, to be freed to receive medical treatment outside the prison.