Sa kaeo: Cambodia appears likely to skip the highly anticipated RBC Secretary-General meeting scheduled to be held at the Officers’ Club, 19th Military Circle, Sa Kaeo Province. The meeting was set to start at 2:00 PM and was to be chaired by Major General Suravich Daengchan, Chief of Staff of the First Army Region, alongside the Thai Secretariat Office. Cambodia’s participation was to be led by Lieutenant General So Kumpa, Deputy Commander of the 5th Military Region.

According to Thai News Agency, the meeting was expected to address 13 agreements from the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting between Thailand and Cambodia held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on August 7th. The goal was to finalize these agreements and discuss further action on border issues to maintain peace and order between the two nations.

This meeting was seen as a precursor to drafting a memorandum of understanding between Thailand and Cambodia at the RBC meeting scheduled for tomorrow. Lt. Gen. Amrit Bunsuya, Commander of Army Area 1 for Thailand, and General Som Oon, Commander of Military Region 5 for Cambodia, were slated to chair it.

The absence of Cambodia from the meeting has raised concerns about whether the RBC meeting planned for tomorrow in the 1st Army Region will face a similar fate as the one in the 2nd Army Region, which Cambodia postponed from August 21 to August 27.

Despite the lack of prior notification from Cambodia regarding its non-attendance, Thai officials remained in the meeting room until 5:00 PM, with preparations such as boxed lunches still in place. Media personnel reported that some members of the press began to leave after waiting all afternoon, with many suggesting that Thailand should set a deadline for Cambodia’s participation. If Cambodia fails to attend by the deadline, it is suggested that Thailand should inform observers and other countries of its readiness to proceed with the RBC meeting, holding Cambodia accountable for the delay.