New Thai foreign minister calls for troop reductions with Cambodia

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BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand and Cambodia should scale back their military presence along their shared border and work together to de-escalate tensions, Thailand’s new foreign minister told reporters on Thursday.

Formally sworn into office along with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul a day earlier, Sihasak Phuangketkeow stressed the need to uphold the ceasefire agreed by Thailand and Cambodia at the end of a deadly five-day conflict in July.

He told reporters on his first day as foreign minister that his priority is to secure peace between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.

The two countries need to implement the joint actions that were agreed during a dialogue earlier this month, including the reduction of forces, the clearance of landmines and a crackdown on illegal activities, he added.

“Peace needs reduction of forces like the withdrawing of heavy weaponry from border areas to reduce the risk of violence,” Sihasak said.

“We have agreed these things in principle, but what we need to see now is progress,” he said.

Thailand and Cambodia have for more than a century contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817 km (508 miles) land border, which was first mapped by France in 1907 when Cambodia was its colony.

Tensions over disputed areas exploded into armed conflict in July, including the use of artillery fire and fighter jet sorties. At least 48 people were killed and hundreds and thousands temporarily displaced in the heaviest fighting between the two countries in over a decade.

The fighting ended after both countries agreed a ceasefire brokered in Malaysia on July 28, and the border has remained mostly calm since, though tensions continue to simmer.

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by David Stanway)