Kuala Lumpur, Aug 5 (EFE).- The situation on the border between Cambodia and Thailand remains “sensitive and tense” as talks between the sides continued in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Tuesday, adding that a decision on sending a military presence from the regional bloc will be made later.
The Thai and Cambodian armies were recently engaged in five days of fierce fighting at various points along their nearly 820-kilometer shared border, an armed conflict that killed around 45 people, 18 of them civilians.
“So far, the situation is very much under control, although it remains sensitive and tense. It is not easy, especially when killings and shootings have occurred—it takes time to de-escalate and cool down the anger and tensions,” Anwar told parliament on Tuesday.
The Malaysian government, which hosts this year’s rotating chairmanship of the regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc, mediated between the two sides to reach an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire last Monday.
Several meetings were agreed under the pact, including between the defense ministers of both countries under the General Border Committee (GFC), a bilateral mechanism for Thailand and Cambodia to agree on approaches and measures to maintain peace and security.
The GFC talks began Monday in the Malaysian capital with meetings of technical teams, and will culminate on Thursday with a meeting of defense representatives.
In addition to Malaysia, representatives from China and the United States were expected to attend as observers.
“We hope that several points of agreement coordinated by Malaysia can be formalized by or on the 7th, as on August 7, the defense ministers of Cambodia and Thailand will be present to reach a consensus. Hopefully, a final resolution can be achieved—at the very least, to halt armed activities and ensure there are no further violations of regulations, especially in disputed border areas,” Anwar said.
The Malaysian leader said that a decision will be made later on whether an ASEAN “military presence is required for monitoring” on the ground is necessary to enforce the agreements, a process currently being carried out through satellite imaging.
“What I conveyed to Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia and Acting Prime Minister Phumtham of Thailand is that we want both of them to reach a final and mutual agreement with Malaysia as the witness, and then for that agreement to be supported by all ASEAN countries. That is where things stand for now,” Anwar stressed.
The neighbors have been embroiled in a historic territorial dispute that escalated in May with the death of a Cambodian soldier in a skirmish between the two armies in a disputed border area. EFE
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