Sukumpol to meet Tea Bahn (Tea Bann)

May 15, 2013

Bangkok Post

Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat will lead the military's top brass to meet his Cambodian counterpart on Friday.

The General Border Committee (GBC) meeting will be held in Rayong's Wang Chan district and aims to cultivate peaceful relations between the countries, Gen Sukumpol said.

"This is a general meeting to discuss border concerns. We have no conflicts at the border," Gen Sukumpol said.

The event follows an informal GBC meeting in February held at the Preah Vihear temple.

Supreme Commander Tanasak Patimapakorn, army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, navy chief Surasak Rounroengrom and air force chief Prachin Jantong have also been invited to the meeting with Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Bahn.

The meeting will touch on drug suppression, illegal logging of protected phayung trees and other border problems, a Defence Ministry source said.

"We want to signal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Thailand and Cambodia are good neighbours who still have regular talks and are ready to accept the ICJ's ruling," the source said, referring to the dispute over the land surrounding the Preah Vihear temple.

Thailand and Cambodia last month provided oral statements at the ICJ, which is considering Cambodia's request to reinterpret its 1962 judgement on the disputed land surrounding the temple.
The ruling is expected in October.

Gen Tea Bahn and other Cambodian army officials will travel to Bangkok to attend a wedding ceremony between a daughter of Yaowapa Wongsawat, sister of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and a son of a Cambodian MP on Saturday, the source said.