On 21 October 2008, Mr. Virachai Plasai, Director-General of the Department of Treaties and
Legal Affairs, met with Mr. Ouk Sophoin, Cambodian Charge d’ Affairs to Thailand, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and presented the latter with an Aide-Memoire regarding the fact on 18 September 2008, during which seven fully-armed Cambodian troops were deployed at the Trimuk Pavilion (Sala Trimuk), near the tri-junction point where Thailand, Cambodia and Laos’ land boundaries meet. The gist of the Aide-Memoire can be summarized as follows:
1. The Thai side expressed its concern over the unnecessary tension caused by such deployment of troops by Cambodia into boundary where is yet to be demarcated and still subject to tripartite negotiation among Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
2. The Thai side reiterated that Thailand has been committed to settle boundary issues with Cambodia fairly through peaceful means under the existing framework of the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC). Thailand therefore requests Cambodia to promptly withdraw its troops out of the Trimuk Pavilion area and refrain from further deploying troops in the area in order to preserve goodwill and trust between the two countries pending completion of boundary demarcation.
In addition, the Director-General informed the Cambodian Charge d’ Affairs to Thailand that today the cabinet approved the appointment of Mr. Vasin Teeravechyan, former Thai Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, as the new Chairman of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) of the Thai side. It was also expected that the House of Representatives would consider the negotiating framework on the provisional arrangement between Thailand and Cambodia and the negotiating framework of the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) next week.
Prime Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Division, Department of Information Tel.(02) 643-5170
Fax. (02) 643-5169 E-mail : div0704@mfa.go.th End.