Thai and Cambodian officials will continue their talks on Sunday in Phnom Penh as they seek to ease tensions amid fears of military clashes after their long-running border dispute reignited, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
The atmosphere on the first day of talks involving members of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) was good with “both parties trying to listen to the other side”, ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told a press conference in Bangkok.
“Thailand sincerely hopes that it will further contribute to de-escalating the tensions, paving the way for a sustainable solution in the future,” he said.
Saturday’s event began with technical discussions in a small-group session, followed by the main meeting in the afternoon.
The ministry said both sides highlighted the significance of working together peacefully under the framework of the memorandum of understanding they signed in 2000 on border surveys and demarcation, commonly known as MoU 43 as it was signed in the Buddhist year 2543.
Mr Nikorndej reaffirmed Thailand’s stance that it will not recognise the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the current matter. The government, he said, remained committed to resolving border issues through bilateral mechanisms and diplomatic channels in accordance with international law.
"The JBC mechanism and others have achieved tangible results progress in the past,” he said.
Cambodia’s information ministry said it would not comment until after the meeting concludes.
The two neighbours share an 820-kilometre land border, parts of which are undemarcated and include ancient temples that both sides have contested for decades. The latest standoff followed a brief skirmish on May 28 that left a Cambodian soldier dead.
“The Thai government hopes to use the platform to resolve the situation peacefully,” Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said about the meeting on her Facebook page on Friday.
The row comes at a challenging time for Thailand’s government, which is losing popularity in prolonged struggle to spur economic growth. Ms Paetongtarn’s administration is under pressure to take a tougher stand on Cambodia, accompanied by initially strong rhetoric from the Thai military.
Despite both countries pledging dialogue to handle the issue and to calm nationalist fervour, Bangkok has threatened to close the border and cut off electricity supplies to its neighbour.
Phnom Penh announced it would cease buying Thai products, electric power and internet bandwidth. It has also ordered local television stations not to screen Thai films. (Story continues below)
Prasart Prasasvinitchai (left), co-chair of the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Boundary Commission, talks with fellow co-chair Lam Chea, minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs of Cambodia, prior to the JBC meeting on Saturday in Phnom Penh. (Photo: Sa Kaeo public relations office)
Resolution unlikely
A resolution this weekend at the JBC meeting is not expected, and it was unclear when the outcome would be announced.
Cambodia is determined to file a case at the ICJ to determine jurisdiction over four disputed areas, while Thailand insists on a bilateral solution.
“Cambodia wants to settle the disputes at the ICJ, something that Thailand won’t accept,” said Dulyapak Preecharush, a Southeast Asian studies expert at Thammasat University in Bangkok.
“So there’s not much left to discuss at the JBC apart from maintaining an atmosphere for further dialogue.”
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Friday his country would not discuss the four contested areas at the boundary commission, adding the government would send an official letter to the ICJ on Sunday about its plan to file the case.
Influential former strongman Hun Sen, Hun Manet’s father, has criticised Thailand’s military for restricting border crossings and has accused generals and Thai nationalists of fanning the tensions.
“Only extremist groups and some military factions are behind these issues with Cambodia because, as usual, the Thai government is unable to control its military the way our country can,” he said late on Thursday.
According to an analyst in international economics, Cambodia’s economic actions indicated that it is ahead of Thailand in terms of both retaliation and negotiations.