On 20 February 2011 Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, briefed the media on the meeting among relevant agencies held earlier at the Thai Foreign Ministry ahead of the Informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting to be held on 22 February 2011 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and attended by the Foreign Minister, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army General Prayuth Chan-ocha, and other senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Minister stated that his participation in the meeting in Jakarta follows the United Nations Security Council urging Thailand and Cambodia to discuss their boundary issue at the bilateral level with ASEAN’s support and encouragement. At the meeting, Thailand would reaffirm its readiness to use all existing bilateral mechanisms with Cambodia, especially the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC), which is co-chaired by former Ambassador Asda Jayanama on the Thai side, the General Border Committee (GBC), co-chaired by the defence ministers of the two countries, and the Regional Border Committee (RBC), co-chaired by the Commanding General of the Second Army Region of Thailand and the Fourth Army Commander of Cambodia. Thailand would affirm to other ASEAN member countries that the above mechanisms have been making progress and should continue. This, he said, would be in line with the spirit of the UNSC as well as Thailand’s intention.
In this connection, Ambassador Asda has sent a letter to the Cambodian Co-Chair of the JBC formally inviting the latter to attend the JBC meeting in Thailand, which had earlier been agreed to in principle by Mr. Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia. As for the GBC meeting, the Thai Defence Minister would soon send a letter to his counterpart, Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh, asking Cambodia to convene the next GBC meeting in Cambodia at the earliest opportunity, as it would be Cambodia’s turn to host it.
Regarding the meeting between General Dapong Rattanasuwan, Royal Thai Army Chief of Staff, and Lieutenant General Hun Manet, Deputy Commander of Royal Cambodian Army, on 19 February 2011, Foreign Minister Kasit stated that the said meeting between the two sides was a consultation, not a negotiation, and that its outcome would have to be reported back to their superiors. In this regard, the Foreign Minister hoped that the GBC meeting would be held at the earliest opportunity in order to discuss how to reduce tension and maintain peace in the affected area. Hence, any formal discussion between the two countries would take place during the GBC meeting.
Furthermore, during the upcoming Informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Thailand would express its readiness to welcome observers from the Government of Indonesia to be embedded with Thai troops at the border area where the clashes took place on 4-7 February 2011. This would be a reaffirmation that Thailand had never and would not be the first to fire. Thailand also hopes that Cambodia would do the same so as to ensure that there be no further armed clashes.
As for the telephone conversation between the Thai Prime Minister and Madam Irina Bokova, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 18 February 2011, the Foreign Minister said that UNESCO’s view is generally the same line as that of Thailand, namely that there should not be any troops present in the area of the Temple of Phra Viharn. Regarding UNESCO’s intention to send a special envoy, he said that, in principle, Thailand would have no objection and is still waiting for a formal letter from UNESCO regarding the terms of reference of its special envoy. If this could be agreed upon, a meeting would be held in Bangkok.
The Foreign Minister further informed the media that on 21 February 2011, the Thai Ministry of Defence would arrange for a group of defence attach?s of ASEAN member countries and other key partners to the affected area to observe, among others, how civilians have been affected.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th