Thai army calls on Cambodia to act on heavy weapons, landmines, and cross-border crime
The Royal Thai Army has sent letters to Cambodian forces urging compliance with the four-point agreement on heavy weapons withdrawal, landmine clearance, cross-border crime, and joint border management.
Major General Winthai Suvaree, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, on Saturday provided an update on the Thai-Cambodian border situation, stating that the First and Second Army Areas have sent letters to Cambodia’s 4th and 5th Military Regions urging the Cambodian side to implement the four key points of the agreement:
- Withdrawal of heavy weapons
- Clearance of landmines
- Combating transnational crime
- Joint border management
Winthai explained that the letters are part of efforts to accelerate Cambodia’s serious consideration and implementation of the previously agreed measures from the GBC meeting. Thailand has continued to pursue concrete action, despite limited cooperation from Cambodia, including landmine clearance, countering transnational crime, and resolving territorial incursions.
He emphasised that if Cambodia ignores or fails to take the agreement seriously, it could undermine bilateral relations and lead to international pressure regarding the transnational crime issues Cambodia is facing. Conversely, genuine compliance with the GBC agreement would be an important first step in resolving disputes between the two countries. However, the trajectory of any change remains unclear at this time, he added.
