First Army clarifies barbed wire removal was Cambodia’s unilateral proposal, not part of RBC agreement

Thailand’s First Army Area says Cambodia’s call to remove barbed wire at the border was not in the RBC agreement, and should be addressed at GBC-JBC level.

The First Army Area has clarified reports that Thailand and Cambodia agreed to remove barbed wire fences and other obstacles during the extraordinary Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting on August 22 in Sa Kaeo.

According to the First Army Area’s statement, such proposals appeared only in Cambodia’s statements and were not included in the official joint record of the meeting.

The disputed wording was contained in a Cambodian press release in English, which claimed both sides had agreed to measures for removing barbed wire, tyres and other barriers to assist affected communities and ease civilian movement.

The First Army Area stressed that this was a unilateral statement from Cambodia’s RBC chairman, who raised the matter in both his opening and closing remarks.

Lt Gen Amarit Boonsuya, Commander of the First Army Area and Thailand’s RBC co-chair, responded during the closing session by emphasising that issues not recorded in the joint agreement should instead be referred to the General Border Committee (GBC) for further consideration, and subsequently to the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC).

The clarification underscores Thailand’s position that barbed wire and other security measures along the border remain outside the scope of the recent RBC agreement.

(2025/08/23-00:00)