PHNOM PENH, March 10 – Cambodia on Tuesday rejected Thai media reports suggesting Prime Minister Hun Manet indicated border negotiations would take place after the New Year, saying no such statement had been made and that Phnom Penh had already requested joint technical work with Thailand.
Government spokesperson Pen Bona said Hun Manet had neither made remarks nor posted on social media indicating that discussions through the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) would be delayed until after Khmer New Year.
Cambodia instead supports the earliest possible resumption of survey and demarcation work under existing bilateral agreements, he said.
The State Secretariat of Border Affairs has submitted five requests to Thailand since a Dec. 27 ceasefire took effect, asking Bangkok to dispatch joint survey teams to conduct on-site measurements in several sections of the frontier.
Thai media reports citing Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Hun Manet had posted that talks would occur after Songkran, but Cambodia says no such message exists.
Thailand has said JBC activity will not proceed until a new government forms and has also raised landmine clearance in disputed areas as a prerequisite for technical surveys.
No new JBC meeting has been scheduled since the ceasefire.
