JERTIH, July 26 — Malaysia has proposed that Thailand and Cambodia use the General Border Committee as a mechanism to resolve diplomatic disputes between the two countries, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
If agreed upon in negotiation, the leaders of the two countries should then welcome the proposals put forward by the committee.
“This is because they both (Thailand and Cambodia) want the other side to apologise first, so I suggest that they use the General Border Committee mechanism...because each has its strength and they just do not want to give in,” he told the press after officiating the Besut Umno Division meeting today.
Mohamad added that he had and would always be in touch with his counterparts, namely Maris Sangiampongsa of Thailand and Prak Sokhonn of Cambodia, to request that the dispute be halted.
“I have asked them to stand down so that a ceasefire can be held as soon as possible, because the two countries are friends, neighbours, and have long-standing family ties. We need to find a solution together through dialogue and diplomatic channels.
“So, InsyaAllah, I will try to contact them again and also some friends there (in Thailand and Cambodia) who have influence,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry had already issued a ban on Malaysians in both countries from going to or approaching the troubled areas.
The minister said that the Malaysian embassies in Bangkok, Thailand, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia, are also always open for Malaysians to report any problems, including those related to the conflict.
It was previously reported that Thai and Cambodian troops clashed on Thursday (July 23) in a disputed border area, with both sides pointing fingers at each other over who was considered to be the initiator of the latest confrontation.
Tensions between the two Southeast Asian countries have escalated since May 28 following a bloody incident in the Preah Vihear area that killed a Cambodian soldier.
The two countries have been in conflict over the 817-kilometre border issue, which has remained unresolved for several decades, continuing to affect their diplomatic relations.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has contacted Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Thursday to express Malaysia's concerns over the escalating tensions.
— Bernama
