Malaysia is willing to send a monitoring team to the Thailand-Cambodia border if requested by both countries, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today.
A ceasefire on July 29 helped halt five days of intense border clashes between the Asean neighbours, but hundreds of thousands of people in border areas on both sides are still confined to evacuation camps amid fears of fresh fighting.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Anwar said he is hopeful that ongoing talks between senior security officials from Cambodia and Thailand would de-escalate tensions following the worst clash in decades which has left more than 50 people dead.
“The situation is currently under control, and satellites are monitoring the area,” said Anwar.
“We hope that the key points can be agreed upon before or on Thursday as the defence ministers of Cambodia and Thailand will meet on that day to reach a consensus.
“Hopefully, this will lead to a final resolution, either to end hostilities or to continue the ceasefire, ensuring no violations (of the ceasefire) in the disputed border areas.”
He was responding to a question from Rodiyah Sapiee (GPS-Batang Sadong) on Malaysia’s role in facilitating peace talks and a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia.
Anwar, who brokered the July 29 ceasefire in his capacity as Asean chairman, said the Thailand-Cambodia peace talks were crucial to Asean’s image as a peaceful and economically vibrant region.
He also expressed his appreciation to all parties, including the opposition, for supporting the government’s efforts to coordinate the talks.
The ongoing meeting of the general border committee – one of several bilateral mechanisms to address border matters between Thailand and Cambodia – was shifted to Kuala Lumpur following Thailand’s request for it to be held at a neutral venue.
Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai agreed to convene the meeting as part of the ceasefire agreement.
