Observers invited to embed with Thai troops: Thai FM

By The Nation

Thailand planned to invite Indonesia to send observers to "embed" with Thai soldiers at the border where Thai troops clashed with Cambodia, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Sunday.

The observers will be witness for the Thai side that it respected the ceasefire with Cambodia.
Kasit was speaking after attending a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at the Foreign Ministry on Sunday. The meeting is held in preparation for Asean Foreign Ministers' meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on Tuesday.

"We would ask Indonesia, chair of Asean, to dispatch observers to embed with the Thai troops at the border where the Thai troops clashed with Cambodian troops. The observers will be our witness that we respect the ceasefire," Kasit said.

Fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops erupted on February 4 and continued although both generals had met on the following day and agreed for the ceasefire.

Recently UN Security Council issued a statement calling for immediate ceasefire between the countries.

Kasit said Cambodia should also agree to accept the observers to embed with their troops.

Responding to reports that both countries have signed a temporary ceasefire during a meeting between Thai and Cambodian generals in a restaurant in Along Veng of Cambodia on Saturday, Kasit said that both sides did not sign any ceasefire.

What they did was just talking not negotiating and they did not sign anything, he said.

Meanwhile an informed source said representing the Cambodian side in the Saturday meeting was not Maj Gen Hun Manet, the eldest son, of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen but Deputy Supreme Commander Jia Dara.