Thailand To Reciprocate After Cambodia Withdraws Heavy Weapons - Anutin

By Kenny Teng

BANGKOK, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- Thailand will reciprocate once Cambodia begins withdrawing heavy weapons from the border area, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday.

“They began this process last night, and once they act, we will reciprocate, as we also have heavy weapons stationed there,” Anutin said in a statement on Monday.

On Sunday, Anutin and his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Manet, signed the KL Peace Accord, which was witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and United States President Donald Trump.

The signing took place on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur.

Anutin explained that the joint declaration, signed in the presence of President Trump and Prime Minister Anwar, who is also the ASEAN Chair, serves as a framework outlining the responsibilities of both countries.

“Although the agreement does not specifically require us to withdraw, we are demonstrating goodwill by following suit to open channels for dialogue and (to) foster mutual understanding,” he said.

He added that discussions between the two militaries would continue through bilateral channels until both sides are satisfied with the disarmament process, with ASEAN military attachés serving as neutral observers to verify compliance.

Anutin said the next step would focus on landmine clearance, which is a more pressing issue, as landmines pose serious risks to innocent civilians.

Cambodia has begun relocating its military weapons along the disputed Thai border following the signing of the historic KL Peace Accord on Sunday.

Agence Kampuchea Presse reported that the operation was conducted under the observation of the ASEAN Observer Team and the Ministry of National Defence since Sunday night.

Meanwhile, the prime minister dismissed speculation that the Thai-Cambodian border checkpoint might reopen on Nov 1.

Anutin clarified that reopening the border would only be considered as the final step.

“The border is not reopening yet,” he said.

The signing of the KL Peace Accord formalised an earlier ceasefire agreement reached after Cambodia and Thailand agreed to end their border conflict during the Extraordinary General Border Committee Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 7.

That meeting followed a special session held on July 28 in Putrajaya, which successfully halted five days of armed hostilities along the border region.

Tensions between the two neighbours over their 817-kilometre border had escalated into a military confrontation in late July, displacing about 300,000 people on both sides of the frontier.

-- BERNAMA