Namhong: The JBC meeting in Indonesia fails due to Thailand's lack of will

 The meeting to find resolution for Cambodia-Thailand border dispute in Indonesia on Apr. 7-8 achieved no result because Thailand has no will to resolve the issue peacefully.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.E. Hor Namhong told a Cambodian local TV in an interview on Apr. 9 in Indonesia.

There were three points on the agenda of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Commission on Demarcation of Land Boundary (JBC) in Bogor, Indonesia including the sending of a technical team to search for border posts numbered 1 to 23, the aerial photos taking to look for old border posts, and the opening of Stung Bot border crossing in Banteay Meanchey province, he said, stressing that Thailand agreed only on the third point.

Thailand proposed to wait for the approval from its parliament of the last three minutes of the JBC meetings in 2008 and 2009, he added.

This reflects Thailand?s bad will to solve the border conflict peacefully and friendly as it has claimed before, said H.E. Hor Namhong, explaining that Thailand thinks that it will benefit a lot from the opening of Stung Bot border crossing as each year Thai goods worth over US$2 billion are imported to Cambodia, he explained.

The JBC meeting was co-chaired on the Cambodian side by Senior Minister Var Kimhong and on the Thai side by Asda Jayanama. On the other hand, the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting co-chaired by Cambodian-Thai foreign ministers was not held because the Thai side did not attend the meeting without notification.

Cambodia has already fulfilled its role to join the GBC meeting as invited by Indonesia even though Thailand did not attend the meeting, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and National Defense Minister H.E. Tea Banh told reporters on Saturday at Phnom Penh International Airport upon his return form the GBC meeting in Indonesia.

This is in conformity with the statement of the UN Security Council as well as that of the Chair of ASEAN on Feb. 22, 2011, he said.

"We have expressed our will to accept the Indonesian observers since the beginning. [?] I think they [Indonesia] will find ways to coordinate and push this plan [to deploy unarmed Indonesian Armed Forces personnel as observers to the conflict zone] to be achieved soon," he added.

Indonesia, as the current Chair of ASEAN, has received the mandate from the UN Security Council to mediate the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute.

At an ASEAN meeting in February, Cambodia and Thailand agreed to accept Indonesian observers to ensure a ceasefire at the disputed border area near the Khmer sacred Preah Vihear Temple. But Thailand?s military in March refused to receive the observers.

Regarding the upcoming Thai offshore military exercise on Apr. 21, H.E. Tea Banh said it is normal for a country to a conduct a military exercise. But, if it affects Cambodia?s maritime territory, we have the obligation to protect our territory.

Source: ANTARA