Thai Army confirms no Cambodia proposal to dismantle border fence for mine clearance

He made this statement following remarks from Lt-General Maly Socheata, spokesperson for Cambodia's Ministry of National Defence, who suggested that Thailand would need to dismantle the barbed wire fence along the Thai-Cambodian border before agreeing to assist with mine clearance.

Winthai explained that after reviewing the results of the Thailand-Cambodia RBC meeting at the level of the commanders of the First Army Area, Cambodia did not propose any condition that Thailand must remove the barbed wire fence to facilitate mine clearance.

He urged the public to rely on the official statement from the commander of the First Army Area.

Winthai clarified that the recent extraordinary RBC meeting proceeded smoothly, with both sides agreeing to implement all 13 points of the General Border Committee (GBC) agreements.

In addition, further discussions were held to address key issues affecting both nations and their people, aiming for tangible solutions. The areas of agreement include:

• Both sides agreed to cooperate in humanitarian mine clearance, with further discussions planned at the next GBC meeting.
• Both parties agreed to collaborate and coordinate efforts to tackle transnational crimes, particularly call centre scams, and recommended further discussions at the next GBC meeting.
• The establishment of a Coordinating Group (CG) and Township Border Committee (TBC) was endorsed to provide additional mechanisms for solving local issues under the RBC framework.
• Regarding the violation of MOU 43 (2000), Cambodia requested to use different mechanisms for discussion, as this issue lies outside the RBC's scope. Thailand reaffirmed its stance on the importance of addressing the issue and communicated its intention to resolve the matter.

Winthai concluded that the outcome of this meeting demonstrated both countries' commitment to working together to maintain peace and security along the border, ensuring the well-being of their people. 

The meeting was in line with the results of the GBC extraordinary meeting held on August 7, he added.