Thailand and Cambodia resume border talks at Siem Reap

SIEM REAP, Oct 23 (TNA) - Thai army and government officials arrived at Cambodia's Siem Reap to attend a Thai-Cambodian Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting set for Thursday and Friday, aimed at seeking peaceful solutions to the ongoing border row between the two countries.

The historic town of Siem Reap is close to Angkor Wat, the former seat of
the ancient Khmer empire, which once extended over much of present-day
Thailand.

The Thai representatives are led by Second Army Region commander Lt-Gen.
Wiboonsak Neeparn while the Cambodian counterpart team is headed by Fourth
Army commander, Gen. Chea Mon.

The previous border committee meeting was held October 16 after several
clashes near the ancient Preah Vihear temple on ther previous day.

One Thai and two Cambodian soldiers died and a number of Thai and Khmer
troops were wounded during the three skirmishes which took place in the
disputed zone which both countries claim on October 15.

On Thursday, an informal meeting would be held between the representatives
of both sides, with the official talks scheduled to take place on Friday.

It was expected that the talks would mainly cover measures to ease the
border dispute, but would also deal with the problems of immigrant
workers, health care and border trade between the two countries.

The Thai cabinet earlier this week approved Vasin Teeravechyan, the
kingdom's former ambassador to South Korea and formerly Director-General
of the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs as new chairman of the
Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) for
Thailand.

Meawhile, Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat expected to have informal
bilateral talks with his Cambodian counterpart Prime Minister Hun Sen to
discuss the two countries' ongoing border dispute on the sidelines of the
Asia and Europe Meeting (ASEM) leaders summit that opens in Beijing on
Friday. (TNA)