Thai authorities shut or cut hours at several Cambodia border crossings late Saturday, Cambodian officials said, in an escalation of tensions following a deadly clash near disputed territory along the Preah Vihear province frontier more than a week ago.
Oum Reatrey, governor of Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province, said Thai officials unilaterally closed their side of the Poipet international crossing in the late afternoon on June 7.
A local news outlet in Poipet reported that crowds of Cambodians rushed to leave the crossing after Thai authorities ordered them out by 4 p.m. Footage also showed Thai nationals leaving in the same window.
Cambodian government spokesperson Pen Bona confirmed some border crossings had been closed without prior notice from Thai authorities.
“We don’t have the exact number yet, as some crossings remain open while others have shut,” he said, adding the government was awaiting reports from provincial officials.
Thailand currently operates 17 official border crossings with Cambodia across seven provinces along their 817-km (508-mile) shared border, according to government data.
Battambang provincial governor Sok Lou said both official crossings with Thailand were closed Saturday evening but that Thai officials told him they would reopen Sunday with reduced hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Koh Kong provincial governor Mithona Phuthong told CamboJA News the border crossing in Koh Kong was operating normally with no issues as of late Saturday evening.
Since a deadly clash on May 28 near the long-disputed Preah Vihear temple, which killed a Cambodian soldier, both sides have traded blame but also sought to ease tensions through existing bilateral talks.
On Thursday, Cambodia’s defense minister Tea Seiha met with his Thai counterpart Phumtham Wechayachai. Seiha reaffirmed Cambodia’s refusal to withdraw troops from an outpost near the Preah Vihear temple – a UNESCO World Heritage site over which the UN recognizes Cambodia’s sovereignty but which Thailand disputes. The clash happened around this contested area, which Cambodia insists is its military post.
A spokesperson for the Thai army told Reuters on Saturday that border checkpoints would be tightened gradually, depending on security assessments in each area. The spokesperson said the presence of Cambodian troops was seen as “provocative.”
Thailand has since reinforced its military presence along the disputed border, following the increase in Cambodian troops, Thailand’s defence minister announced Saturday.
The Thai military and other authorities have also objected to Cambodia’s referral of the dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), saying Thailand does not accept the court’s jurisdiction in this case.
Despite tensions, both sides are scheduled to meet in Phnom Penh on June 14 for a session of the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC), a long-standing mechanism for resolving border disputes.
Thai officials have criticised Cambodia’s announcement that the contested Preah Vihear temple area, along with three other sites, will not be discussed at the meeting. That stance was among the reasons for the latest border closures, according to the Cambodian consul general in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province.
Nationalist sentiment has also risen in both countries. The latest display came on June 5, when a group of Thai protesters staged a rally outside the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok over the dispute.
Royal Cambodian Army Major General Pech Vanna, who oversees border relations, said the Poipet crossing is expected to reopen on Sunday but with hours cut by eight. He said Thai authorities will also scale back hours at several regional crossings, including Boeng Trakuon, Malai and Stung Bot – a move he warned would hit trade and local economies.
(Additional reporting by Khy Sovuthy)
