Cambodia and Vietnam Agree to Finish Setting Border Markers by the End of 2008

The government of Cambodia sent another working group to Vietnam to continue the negotiations regarding the setting of land border markers, while Siamese [Thai] troops continue to invade the west of Cambodia.

“Early this week, Mr. Var Kim Hong [the head of the Cambodian Border Committee] and Mr. Long Visalo [Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs] led a border working group to Vietnam to discuss details of the border markings, mutually agreed at the end of 2006, in order to put land border markers as agreed previously.

“An official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that during one-day negotiations on 28 August 2008, Cambodia and Vietnam agreed to finish setting 100 land border markers by the end of 2008.

“The official continued that the 1,270 km land border between Cambodia and Vietnam will be marked with more than 300 border markers, both on land and on the sea. The maps for the discussion used by both working groups are based on 1:100,000 scale maps. The maps will be used as basis for the discussions with Vietnam and Laos, in order to mark the unclear border points along the borders of both countries.

“As for the maps for the discussions and as reference with Siam [Thailand], they are based on the international French and Siamese maps or the 100/200,000 map [sic! – though this is maybe not correct, as it is not a usual scale, and it is also not probable that an old, but very detailed 1:2,000 map exists of the whole borderline, made at the time when France was the colonial power in Cambodia and negotiated with Thailand]. However, the official said that to put border markers at the Cambodian and Vietnamese border, and border markers at the Cambodian and Laotian border is easy to be achieved, because Vietnam and Laos recognize the maps mentioned above. As for Siam, it bases its arguments on the maps made between Siam and France without any discussion with Cambodia [because at that time, there was no Cambodian government, but the French held the state authority]. This is the point why Cambodia does not accept the demands by the Siamese side.

“Mr. Var Kim Hong, the head of the Cambodian Border Committee, reported to Kampuchea Thmey that the Cambodian working group visiting Vietnam early last week signed an agreement on the points of convergence between Cambodia and Vietnam, and between Cambodia and Laos. ‘We met as the working groups of the three countries, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, to discuss about the setting of 100 border markers by the end of 2008. During this meeting, we wanted to speed up the marking of the border lines of the three countries according to each stage.’