Thai army troops remain at border area pending GBC decision

BANGKOK, August 29 (TNA) - Thai Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-o-cha said Monday that army troops will remain at a contentious area along the Thai-Cambodian border pending a resolution of the forthcoming Thai-Cambodian General Border Committee (GBC) next month.

General Prayuth told reporters that more discussions are needed between Thai and Cambodian authorities concerned at the 8th Thai-Cambodian GBC Meeting, set to be held in Phnom Penh on September 8, before the resolution on any action on the demilitarised zone along the common border, as assigned by the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ), is made.

General Prayuth acknowledged whether Thailand will deploy border patrol police at the demilitarised zone, as initially agreed at the latest Regional Border Committee (RBC) Meeting, held in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in the Thai Northeast last week, will depend on the upcoming GBC resolution.

The army commander-in-chief said that a proposed plan on sending a team of Indonesian observers to the demilitarised zone along the Thai-Cambodian border will also be discussed at the 8th GBC Meeting.

The army chief noted that any resolution of the upcoming GBC Meeting needs to be first approved by the Thai Cabinet before its implementation. (TNA)