KL PEACE ACCORD: CAMBODIA BEGINS WITHDRAWAL OF MILITARY WEAPONS

By Vijian Paramasivam

PHNOM PENH, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- Cambodia has begun relocating its military weapons along the disputed Thai border following the signing of the historic KL Peace Accord on Sunday.

The state media Agence Kampuchea Presse reported that the operation was conducted under the observation of the ASEAN Observer Team and the Ministry of National Defence since Sunday night.

The first phase of military equipment withdrawal reached Banteay Srei District, Siem Reap Province.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the peace agreement, witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and United States President Donald Trump.

The signing took place on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, which is being held in Kuala Lumpur.

“The removal of the weapons represents the first step and a symbol of our commitment to implementing the Kuala Lumpur Joint Statement (KL Peace Accord),” said Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt Gen Mali Socheata, as reported by state media on Monday.

The signing of the KL Peace Accord was to formalise an earlier ceasefire agreement reached after Cambodia and Thailand agreed to end their border conflict during the Extraordinary General Border Committee Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 7. 

The meeting was held as a follow-up to the special meeting held on July 28 in Putrajaya that stopped the five-day armed hostilities along the northern part of Cambodia. 

Cambodia and Thailand have been squabbling over unmarked borders stretching 817 kilometres for decades, and the quarrel exploded into an armed conflict on July 24. 

About 300,000 people were displaced on both sides of the border since tensions began.

-- BERNAMA