Chanthaburi: Thai and Cambodian military officials convened a preliminary meeting on Wednesday to initiate discussions for a formal ceasefire, as tensions have escalated along the border. The meeting, aimed at establishing a framework to end recent hostilities, saw Thailand presenting three specific conditions for peace.
According to Thai News Agency, the secretarial-level General Border Committee (GBC) meeting was held at the Ban Pakkad border crossing in Thailand’s Chanthaburi province and lasted just 35 minutes. Despite its brevity, Thai officials considered the meeting a positive development in the ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict. General Nattapong Prowkaew, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Armed Forces and leader of the Thai delegation, emphasized that Thailand’s stance remains steadfast.
While General Nattapong refrained from disclosing specific responses to avoid complicating negotiations, he highlighted that the meeting itself was an encouraging step towards ceasefire discussions. Thailand’s conditions include an immediate halt to hostilities, a commitment to a sustained and verifiable ceasefire monitored by third-party observers, and genuine cooperation in joint demining operations along the border.
The meeting was a response to a formal request from Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense on December 22 to resume talks within the GBC framework, following a special ASEAN ministerial meeting in Kuala Lumpur.