Thai and Cambodian armies agree to pull troops back from the border pass

The Thai and Cambodian armies have agreed to pull their troops back from the area in Chong Bok border pass in Ubon Ratchathani province, where they clashed briefly on Wednesday. One Cambodian soldier was killed.

They also agreed to use the Joint Border Committee (JBC) and the Regional Border Committee (RBC) to resolve border conflicts between the two countries, according to a statement issued by the Royal Thai Army today, following a meeting yesterday between Thai Army Commander Gen Pana Klaewplodthuk and his Cambodian counterpart, Gen Mao Sophan.

In the statement, the Thai and Cambodian army chiefs expressed their regret over the loss of life during the brief gun battle and expressed their strong desire for the defence ministers of the two countries to use negotiation to resolve their conflicts.

The two army chiefs also confirmed that there will not be violations of the territorial sovereignty of either country. They agreed that their negotiations would benefit the peoples of both countries, especially economically.

The statement said that some solutions are expected from the JBC in the next two weeks.

The two army chiefs also agreed to supervise their troops strictly, within the framework of the agreement, with the Cambodian army chief pledging that any Cambodian troops who defy the agreement will be moved out of the territory immediately.