Boonsin says Cambodia shows no sign of military pullout
Thai commander Boonsin says Cambodia shows no sign of troop or weapon pullout despite GBC deal, warns of provocations along the border.
Cambodia fails to act on GBC agreement
Second Army Area commander Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang said on Monday that Cambodia has not taken any action to show its intention to pull out troops and heavy weapons along the Thai border in line with an agreement reached in a General Border Committee (GBC) meeting.
With Cambodia failing to show its commitment to honour the agreement, Boonsin thanked Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for allowing the armed forces to decide whether to reopen the border with Cambodia.
During the September 10 GBC meeting, both sides agreed to withdraw heavy weapons and other destructive arms from the border to their normal bases. Secretaries of the GBC from both countries, along with regional border committees, are scheduled to meet to draft operational plans for the withdrawal. These operations would be observed by ASEAN’s Interim Observer Team.
Concerns over Cambodia’s intentions
Boonsin, who is due to retire at the end of this month, said Cambodia has so far shown no sign of pulling out its troops or weapons but has instead mobilised more troops to border areas.
He expressed doubt over whether the pullout agreement could be enforced, adding that the next Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting between the Second Army Area and its Cambodian counterpart might be held early next month, after his retirement.
Boonsin added that although Cambodia may draft an operational plan for withdrawal, he believed it would not implement it.
“Cambodia is still provoking us and we won’t hold more talks,” he said.
Drone incursions and landmine planting
According to Boonsin, Cambodian provocations include flying drones into Thai territory and troops crossing the border to plant anti-personnel landmines.
He said the military appreciated Anutin’s decision to give the armed forces the final say on whether border crossings should be reopened and whether border fences should be built.
First Army Area and Navy meetings
Meanwhile, Lt Gen Amarit Boonsuya, commander of the First Army Area, said his unit was preparing to hold a regional border committee meeting with its Cambodian counterpart in Poi Pet on September 24–26. The First Army Area will present its operational plan for landmine clearance at the meeting.
Separately, the Royal Thai Navy’s Chanthaburi and Trat Defence Force announced that its regional border committee meeting with Cambodian counterparts would be postponed, pending the drafting of an operational plan for reopening border crossings in Chanthaburi and Trat, as agreed during the September 10 GBC meeting.
