Thai navy warns of stronger measures over border d | RSS.com
The Thai navy has warned it could step up measures against Cambodia, accusing Phnom Penh of violating a joint border agreement by refusing to remove structures in contested areas of Trat province.
According to the Thai newspaper The Nation, navy deputy spokesperson Parach Rattanaichaiyapan claimed Cambodian forces had crossed into Thai territory in Ban Chamriang village in Trat province, opposite Veal Veng district in Pursat province. He said Cambodians had also built houses and cultivated farmland in three locations marked on Thai military maps.
Thailand alleges Cambodia has advanced 15 metres into one site, 125 metres into a second, and 30 metres into a third. Officials stated that these areas fall under Thai sovereignty, based on a 2000 Memorandum of Understanding known as MOU 43.
The dispute comes as both countries continue General Border Committee talks aimed at easing tensions under existing ceasefire terms.
Cambodian Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata dismissed the Thai claims, insisting that Cambodian villagers in Ekpheap, Thmor Da commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province, are living on their own land. She said Cambodia has already provided written clarification through its military region five command in February 2022 and resolved some of the issues raised.
For unresolved matters beyond the local authority, Phnom Penh has proposed that they be taken up by the Joint Border Committee, in line with the 2000 agreement on demarcation. Socheata stressed that Cambodia remains committed to cooperation with Thailand at all levels to promote peace, stability, and development.
Analysts, however, warn that Thailand could expand military pressure along the frontier if Phnom Penh does not respond firmly. They point to past incidents in Banteay Meanchey where Thai troops moved into Cambodian territory. Some suggest the latest claims in Trat may serve to divert attention from earlier Thai incursions in Chouk Chey and Prey Chan villages, where soldiers were accused of laying barbed wire and digging trenches.
Cambodian villagers recently posted live footage on Facebook showing Thai troops again entering Prey Chan village in Banteay Meanchey on September 16. Hundreds of residents in nearby Chouk Chey joined together to dismantle the barbed wire, while about 30 Thai soldiers withdrew.
