Thai-Cambodia RBC agrees on 13 ceasefire points; Cambodia accepts 3 proposals but rejects MOU 43 issue

Lt Gen Amarit Boonsuya, Commander of Thailand’s First Army Area, on Friday announced the results of the Thai-Cambodia Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting at army area level, where both sides agreed on 13 ceasefire measures. However, Cambodia declined to address the MOU 43 (2000) issue.

The RBC meeting, held at the First Army Area headquarters, saw both sides reach a mutual agreement to implement 13 ceasefire points as part of the ongoing peace initiatives following discussions at the General Border Committee (GBC).

In addition to these agreements, three proposals put forward by Thailand were also accepted by Cambodia. These included:

1. Humanitarian Mine Clearance: Both sides agreed to cooperate on clearing landmines for humanitarian purposes, with plans to discuss this further at the next GBC meeting.

2. Transnational Crime Cooperation: Both parties agreed to enhance cooperation to address cross-border crimes, particularly focusing on call-centre scam gangs. They agreed to use the Cambodian Ministry of the Interior platform to engage with relevant Thai agencies, and it was recommended that this be a discussion point at the upcoming GBC meeting.

3. Coordination Mechanism: Both sides agreed to set up a Coordination Group (CG) and a Local Border Committee as mechanisms to support the RBC in resolving local-level issues along the border.

However, regarding the MOU 43 issue, Cambodia requested to address this matter through a different platform, as it falls outside the RBC’s mandate. The Thai delegation emphasized the importance of MOU 43 and clarified Thailand’s intention to resolve the matter.

Amarit confirmed that Cambodia prefers to use the Joint Border Commission (JBC) for discussions related to this issue, but reiterated that it will be addressed through the GBC framework.