PHNOM PENH, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian and Thai defense chiefs agreed to hold the 8th Cambodia-Thailand General Border Commission (GBC) on Dec. 19-21 in Phnom Penh to discuss troop pullouts from the disputed area near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, Lt. Gen. Chhum Socheat, spokesman for Cambodian Ministry of Defense, said Friday.
At the invitation of Cambodia’s side, he said, Thailand’s Defense Minister Gen. Yuthasak Sasiprapa replied in black and white to Cambodia’s Minister of Defense Gen. Tea Banh on Thursday to determine Dec. 19-21 for the 8th GBC in Phnom Penh.
He said on Dec. 19-20, it will be the meeting between the two sides’ senior defense officials and on Dec. 21, it will be the meeting between the two countries’ defense ministers.
The agendas include the cooperation on general border security to fight against cross-border crimes and other offensive activities, and the talks on troop withdrawals from the provisional demilitarized zone (PDZ) of about17 kilometers near Preah Vihear temple to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice.
Cambodia and Thailand have had sporadic border conflict over territorial dispute near Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple since the UNESCO listed the temple as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008.
On July 18, the International Court of Justice ordered Cambodia and Thailand to immediately withdraw their military personnel from the provisional demilitarized zone on the disputed border near Preah Vihear temple and to allow ASEAN observers access to the provisional demilitarized zone to monitor ceasefire.
The border tension has eased since the opposition Pheu Thai Party, led by ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's youngest sister Yingluck, won a landslide victory in Thailand's lower house election on July 3.
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