By Vijian Paramasivam
PHNOM PENH, Sept 10 (Bernama) — Cambodia and Thailand advanced their confidence-building measures further during a Special Meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC), which concluded today to de-escalate tensions along their shared border.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, General Tea Seiha, said both sides agreed to de-escalate tensions by withdrawing heavy and destructive weapons to their respective regular military installations.
“It was also agreed that captured soldiers will be returned as soon as possible at an appropriate time, on humanitarian grounds,” Seiha said in a statement after the GBC meeting.
Eighteen Cambodian soldiers, captured during a brief military confrontation, are still being held by the Thai military.
He said that the de-escalation plan will be implemented with the oversight of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT).
Both parties have also agreed in principle on the Terms of Reference for the formation of the AOT, pending approval from the governments of both countries.
“Pending the establishment of the AOT, both sides recognised the important role of the Interim Observer Team (IOT) and agreed to continue using the IOT mechanism to ensure the effective implementation of the ceasefire,” said Seiha.
The three-day meeting was held in Koh Kong Province, and Thailand will host the second Special General Border Committee Meeting within 30 days.
The GBC was co-chaired by Seiha and his Thai counterpart, Acting Defence Minister General Nattaphon Narkphanit.
The bilateral meeting is part of the 13-point ceasefire agreement achieved during the Extraordinary GBC Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 7, 2025, to effectively implement the truce arrangement.
The GBC talks took place after top military operations’ officers concluded their four rounds of Extraordinary Regional Border Committee meetings over the last few weeks – another core requirement of the ceasefire deal.
The dialogues are being held to diffuse border tensions after military clashes in northern Cambodia on July 24 and ensure the ceasefire agreement reached five days later remains intact until a permanent peace can be achieved.
De-mining activities, reopening borders, tackling cross-border crimes, including arms, drugs, human and wildlife trafficking, forced labour, smuggling, and illegal crossings topped the just-concluded GBC’s agenda.
In a related development, an ASEAN IOT, comprising Indonesia and the Philippines, arrived at the newly opened Techo International Airport today.
It is headed by Brigadier General Datuk Pahlawan Asri Shukor, Director of Training at the Royal Malaysian Army.
“This represents the active participation of ASEAN member states, particularly Malaysia, in its role as chair, in supporting a peaceful resolution between the two nations,” said Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence, as reported by Fresh News.
— BERNAMA
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