THAILAND is not withdrawing troops from the border while hoping that the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting that started in Malaysia today, Aug.4, and will continue till Aug. 7 yields good results, Thai Rath newspaper said.
Lt. Gen. Boonsin Phadklang, commander of the Second Army Region, said he did not yet know what was being discussed at the GBC meeting but expects it to be positive and a mutually beneficial agreement be reached.
Regarding concern that the border situation would escalate after Aug. 7, Lt. Gen. Boonsin stated that everything depends on the conditions the leaders of the two countries set at the meeting. If mutual agreement is reached on the terms raised the situation would be easily resolved, while mentioning that he could not as yet predict the outcome.
However, he underscored that the Thai army is not withdrawing from the border because the troops are within Thai territory.
He admitted that the Thai army is facing a problem about unidentified drones flying around, with some being flown for the sole purpose of causing a disturbance and nothing else. All sectors are tackling this issue and the situation has improved.
Regarding the air force police having arrested a Cambodian man with a drone at Wing 5 in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Lt. Gen. Boonsin said that is for the police to investigate but the accused must be treated fairly amid the current ban on flying aerial vehicles.
On complaints of bad smell from corpses of Cambodian soldiers along the border, Lt. Gen. Boonsin said he had coordinated with Cambodia to collect their dead because if left unattended they could be a source of disease and the neighbouring country has started removing some of the bodies.
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Top and Front Page: Lt. Gen. Boonsin Phadklang. Photos: Thai Rath
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