Thailand-Cambodia meeting in doubt over venue row

Thailand on Dec 23 rejected a request by Cambodia to hold bilateral talks in a neutral country, leaving in doubt a planned meeting to negotiate an end to deadly border clashes.

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The nations' longstanding border conflict reignited in December, shattering an earlier truce, killing more than 40 people and displacing over 900,000 on both sides, officials said.

The clashing neighbours on Dec 22 agreed to negotiate truce terms this week, but Cambodia asked Thailand to hold the talks in a neutral venue, Malaysia’s capital.

Thailand’s Defence Ministry, however, said on Dec 23 that the bilateral border committee meeting would go ahead in Thailand’s Chanthaburi province from Dec 24 as planned.

"We guarantee Chanthaburi is safe. This province is the original plan for hosting the GBC (General Border Committee) even before the fighting started," Thai Defence Ministry spokesman Surasant Kongsiri told reporters.