Thailand and Cambodia meet to resolve border dispute, avoid clashes
Both armies said they acted in self-defence when their troops exchanged fire on May 28 at a border area where one Cambodian soldier was killed
Officials from Thailand and Cambodia met on Saturday in Phnom Penh, as the Southeast Asian neighbours sought to resolve a long-running border dispute that last month devolved into clashes.
Troops from the two countries exchanged fire on May 28 in an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet, with one Cambodian soldier killed.
The Thai and Cambodian armies both said they had acted in self-defence, but agreed to reposition their soldiers to avoid confrontations.
Thailand has tightened border controls with Cambodia in recent days, while Cambodia ordered troops on Friday to stay on “full alert”.
Officials from the two countries had agreed to resolve the spat at Saturday’s meet in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.
Foreign ministry adviser Prasas Prasasvinitchai was leading the Thai delegation, while Lam Chea, minister of state in charge of the Secretariat of Border Affairs, headed the Cambodian contingent.