RCAF: Thailand requests join patrol in disputed border zone

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A high ranking RCAF commander based near the Preah Vihear temple area indicated that, recently, Thai army commanders asked their Cambodian counterpart for joint patrol along a number of border areas that are illegally occupied by Thai soldiers.

On Monday 20 July, General Ek Dara, the RCAF commander along the regions illegally occupied by Thai soldiers, said that during the recent meeting held between RCAF commanders and Thai Suranaree Batallion No. 6, Thailand requested for joint patrol between Khmer and Thai soldiers in the areas where Thai soldiers illegally occupied near Preah Vihear temple, from Ta Sim pass all the way to the Chak Chreng hill.

General Ek Dara also said that RCAF commanders in the region accepted the Thai request, but under one condition: the joint patrol will not cross into Thai territory, nor will it cross into Cambodian territory, i.e. the joint patrol can only take place in the mid-zone, and no definite areas of joint patrol have been set yet.

General Ek Dara said: “We are waiting to see the limitation of the patrol, where it will take place, from where to where, but we did not receive a reply yet…”

Nevertheless, as of Monday, no Thai commanders can be reached to explain this situation.

The border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, next to the Preah Vihear temple, took place when Thailand sent in several hundreds of their soldiers to the Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak Pagoda on 15 July 2008. Through diplomatic channels, Cambodian officials attempted hard to find a resolution through multiple negotiation meetings with Thailand, however, no good resolution came out of these meetings up to now.

Var Kim Hong, the chairman of the Cambodian committee for border resolution, said that, up to now, Khmer-Thai officials have no plan to negotiate the border dispute with Thailand anymore, because Cambodia is waiting for Thailand’s conformation: “Up to now, these’s nothing yet, we are waiting for the Thai confirmation.”

Since Thailand sent its troop to the Wat Keo Sekha Kiri Svarak Pagoda on 15 July 2008 and up to now (20 July 2009), one year and five days already took place. During that time, three armed clashes too place and soldiers from both sides sustained injuries and deaths.

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