Thai-Cambodian FMs To Meet On Proposed Indonesian Observers

BANGKOK, April 9 (Bernama) — Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is set to meet with his Cambodian and Indonesian counterparts Hor Namhong and Marty Natalegawa in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, on Saturday afternoon to discuss a draft of terms of reference (TOR) for a proposal to station Indonesian observers at an unsettled 4.6 square-kilometre area along the Thai and Cambodian border, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

According to a Thai Foreign Ministry announcement, Kasit’s meeting with his Cambodian and Indonesian counterparts was arranged on the sidelines of a special Asean-Japan foreign ministers’ session on cooperation in dealing with disasters in the region in the wake of a massive earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan’s northeastern region on March 11 with radiation leaks consequently.

The trio talks came after a two-day Thai-Cambodian Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting in Bogor, Indonesia, which ended on Friday.

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, Secretary to the Thai foreign minister, claimed that the latest JBC meeting was successful, as Cambodia appeared to now understand Thailand more properly.

Thailand’s has made it clear that Indonesian observers should not be deployed at the contentious border area near the ancient Preah Vihear Temple.