DAP: The breaking news in Cambodia: “Thai soldiers kill 38 Cambodian illegal loggers in 6 months: report” plus 1 more

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Thirty-eight Cambodian people had been shot dead by Thai armed forces during the first six months of this year when they crossed border to log in Thai territory, according to a report of Cambodia-Thailand Border Relation Office released to the media on Tuesday.

The report, signed by Brigadier General Pich Vanna, chief of Cambodia-Thailand Border Relation Office on Aug. 12, added that besides the dead, 10 others were wounded, 194 were imprisoned, and one is still missing.

It said that, during the January-June period this year, Thai authority had also arrested and deported 68,659 Cambodian illegal crossers back to Cambodia.

Cambodia shares more than 800-kilometer border with Thailand to the north and west.

NEW DELHI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- India will host a foreign ministerial meeting of the six-nation Mekong-Ganga Cooperation grouping India, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia next month, reported Indo-Asian News Service on Monday.

The Mekong-Ganga foreign ministers' meeting is expected to be held on Sept. 5-6, the report quoted informed sources as saying.

The ministerial meeting will focus on spurring connectivity projects and explore ways to boost economic, cultural and tourism exchanges between these countries and India.

The Mekong-Ganga meeting comes ahead of the ASEAN-India commemorative summit in New Delhi on Dec. 20-21 which will mark the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership and the 10th anniversary of ASEAN-India Summit-level partnership, which marked India's adoption of a "Look East" policy for better economic ties with ASEAN countries.

India and Thailand last week signed an agreement in Bangkok to implement some road connectivity projects which will also run through Myanmar in order to increase trade between the two countries.

Local analysts say greater economic and trade exchanges with ASEAN countries will also contribute to the development and stability of India's restive northeast states.