First Army Chief presses Cambodia on RBC talks; evacuation plan needed before meeting
Thai First Army Area requests Cambodian RBC talks be postponed if no plan to evacuate residents from Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaew is discussed.
A source from the First Army Area reported on Friday that after Cambodia invited Thailand to attend the Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting on October 10-12 in Banteay Meanchey, to follow up on agreements from the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting on September 10—covering scammer suppression, landmine clearance, and border management—the First Army Area Commander, Lt Gen Worayos Luangsuwan, sent a formal response.
He stated that if the RBC agenda on October 10-12 does not include discussion of plans to evacuate Cambodian residents from Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaew, Khok Sung District, Sa Kaeo Province, the meeting should be postponed until Cambodia raises this issue.
The source reported that the Second Army Area and the Chanthaburi-Trat Border Defence Command will also not hold RBC talks with Cambodia until the meeting with the First Army is properly conducted.
Similarly, the GBC meeting between Gen Natthaphon Narkphanit, Thai Minister of Defence, and Gen Tea Seiha, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, cannot proceed until the RBC meetings for the three areas are completed.
