Thailand, Cambodia to speed up clearing landmines

BANGKOK, January 3 (TNA) - Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to speed up clearing landmines along their common border to ensure the safety of people travelling near the frontier. Thai Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha told journalists on Thursday that the issue was part of his discussions with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Bangkok's Government House on Wednesday, when he also wished her a “Happy New Year”. General Prayuth acknowledged, however, that the landmine clearance along the Thai-Cambodian border will take some time, and that Wednesday’s meeting also focused on issues concerning the ancient Preah Vihear Temple near the common border and its surrounding area and it was agreed that people of both countries should live in harmony and peace. According to the army-commander-in-chief, the Thai government will abide to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s verdict on the ownership of a 4.6-square kilometre-area contentious area surrounding the Preah Vihear Temple, expected later this year. The Hague-based World Court awarded the ancient Preah Vihear Temple and the land it stands on to Cambodia in 1962, but it has remained an unsettled issue for both countries. Phnom Penh asked the ICJ in April 2011 to interpret its 1962 verdict on the ownership of the Preah Vihear Temple and its disputed surrounding area. Asked whether the Royal Thai Army will allow border police to station near the Preah Vihear Temple, the Thai army chief said that he has not yet known whether the issue will be materialised, but security officials have been there already. In an attempt to enable the public to better understand security matters in Thailand in the same direction, the army chief acknowledged that the Thai government plans to set up a team, comprising police, military officers and even civilians, to inform the public on the security matters. (TNA)