Speaking to reporters yesterday (Aug 8) after the GBC meeting held in Malaysia on Thursday, Gen Nattaphon also revealed that he had met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his visit. He said that both sides reaffirmed a shared commitment that Malaysia and ASEAN would refrain from intervening in bilateral matters between Thailand and Cambodia, instead taking the role of observers, reports the Bangkok Post.
“We have made it clear that the United States and China should also allow ASEAN to manage regional situations independently, without interference,” he added, noting that Malaysia had given assurances in support of this approach.
One notable achievement of the recent meeting, Gen Nattaphon said, was Cambodia’s participation in bilateral discussions - something they had previously declined. “This represents a key milestone we have achieved,” he noted.
However, he acknowledged public concerns regarding the trustworthiness of Cambodia in this process. “We will maintain our existing approach, which is to act with maturity, abide by international law, and rely on international consensus as the framework for engagement with Cambodia,” he affirmed.
Gen Nattaphon said Cambodia showed a cooperative attitude during the GBC secretariat-level meeting.
However, some of Thailand’s proposals - including landmine clearance operations and joint action against online scam networks - have yet to gain full acceptance from the Cambodian side. Similarly, Thailand has not agreed to some of Cambodia’s counterproposals.
When asked by reporters why Cambodia had not yet accepted Thailand’s proposals on mine clearance cooperation and efforts to combat transnational crime, Gen Nattaphon explained that no official reasons were given. However, he indicated that Cambodia likely still views landmines as part of its national defence strategy.
“I have the sense that their reluctance stems from a lack of trust in us,” he said. “That’s why I’ve emphasised how challenging these secretariat-level negotiations have been. Cambodia doesn’t fully trust Thailand, and Thailand doesn’t fully trust Cambodia either. So, when it comes to reaching an agreement, you in the media can imagine just how difficult that is. These are not ordinary conversations.”
He praised the work of the committee secretariat, acknowledging the complexity of the negotiations: “I sincerely commend and thank our secretariat team, who managed to push through our proposals and reach a balanced outcome given the circumstances.”
When asked how Thailand plans to proceed with the proposals at future forums, Gen Nattaphon said that the two key issues - mine clearance cooperation and tackling transnational crime - will continue to be raised at every opportunity.
“These matters will be brought up repeatedly until they are accepted,” he said, adding that both Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to schedule the next GBC meeting within one month of Aug 7, though the venue is still under discussion.
Asked whether observers had been informed that Cambodia had not accepted the proposals, Gen Nattaphon confirmed that he had made the situation clear during the Aug 7 press briefing.