Thailand, Cambodia reach consensus on ceasefire details, pledge not to increase forces

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Thailand reached a consensus on the details of the ceasefire and signed an agreement at the extraordinary meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) held here Thursday.

Officials from Cambodia and Thailand attended the meeting, while delegates from China, Malaysia, and the United States participated as third-party observers.

According to a joint statement following the talks hosted at the Malaysian Ministry of Defence, both sides agreed to a ceasefire involving all types of weapons, pledging to avoid unprovoked firing towards each other's positions or troops, and agreed not to increase forces along the border.

Both sides agreed to maintain current troop deployments without further movement as they were at the time when the ceasefire was reached at midnight on July 28. They also committed to ensuring the proper treatment of captured soldiers in accordance with international humanitarian law.

The statement further noted that both sides expressed support for an ASEAN observer team led by Malaysia to monitor compliance with the ceasefire. In the interim, a temporary observation mission consisting of defence attaches from ASEAN countries will be stationed in Cambodia and Thailand.

The statement also said that both sides agreed to maintain regular communication between all army areas and military regions and units, to convene a Regional Border Committee meeting within two weeks, to schedule the next GBC meeting of both countries within one month, and, if necessary, an extraordinary GBC meeting should be called immediately.

Speaking at a briefing after the talks, Thai Acting Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit stated that this meeting was crucial to bilateral relations and regional peace and expressed the hope that this meeting would serve as an opportunity to work with Cambodia to promote long-term peace.

For his part, Cambodian Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha said that Cambodia will fully implement the consensus reached and will continue to maintain close coordination and cooperation, demonstrating Cambodia's constructive approach to regional peace.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin noted that both countries had adhered to the principles upheld within the ASEAN framework.

"In ASEAN, we believe in resolving disputes through consensus, non-confrontation, and through trust, mutual respect, and the spirit of non-interference. We strengthen our regional unity, and this ASEAN spirit has guided us today and will continue to guide us in the journey ahead," he said.

Armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai forces erupted on July 24 along their border. The two countries agreed to a ceasefire on the afternoon of July 28, which took effect at midnight on the same day. ■