The Royal Cambodian Army has rejected Thai Military Region 1’s pressure to evacuate residents from two disputed border villages in Banteay Meanchey province, saying there will be no such plan.
The move comes as Cambodia’s Military Region 5 submitted a protest letter on October 4, stressing that any action against Chouk Chey and Prey Chan villages must abide by the decision reached in the first General Border Committee meeting. Point 8 of the agreed minutes stipulates that the Joint Boundary Commission handle any boundary and demarcation issues, with the Regional Border Committee (RBC) limited to resolving local incidents and easing tensions on the ground.
“The RBC does not have the mandate or authority to determine or alter the boundary line,” Cambodian military wrote, adding that on-the-ground observations have clearly shown that Thai nationals have also allegedly occupied and used land located within Cambodian territory in some areas.
According to the protest letter, Thai Military Region 1 proposed evacuating Cambodian residents from three disputed areas opposite Nong Chan, Nong Ya Kaeo, and Ta Phak Ya villages in Sa Kaeo province on the Thai side.
The two-day RBC talks, scheduled for October 10 after a previous delay due to a change in Thai military leadership, have been complicated by additional razor-wire barricades Thai soldiers put up last month in the disputed villages between Banteay Meanchey and Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province.
Thai media quoted Royal Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree as saying that while it respects all bilateral agreements, there are two types of “encroachment” along the border — one in disputed areas under the JBC’s mechanism, and another involving Cambodia’s encroachment of Thai territory, which Thai authorities must address under national law.
He added that the RBC will continue to serve as coordinator. Regarding the second form of encroachment, which encroaches on Thai territory, Suvaree said that “it is not a disputed area”, but an issue that has lasted for a “long time”.
In return, the Cambodian military also raised concerns about Thai citizens occupying land within Cambodian sovereignty, to which the Thai army replied: Cambodia should similarly use bilateral ground-level mechanisms to resolve the problem.
The Thai army added that based on information they received, the occupation by their people on Cambodian soil might be land for agricultural use, which should “not be difficult to resolve”, unlike the ”border encroachment with permanent buildings and structures”—linking that to the Banteay Meanchey issue.
National Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata said Cambodia facilitated the Interim Observer Team (IOT)’s visit to one of the villages, Chouk Chey village, in O’ Bei Choan Commune, on October 6 to observe, verify, and report on the border situation after the ceasefire came into effect.
The barbed wire barricades in Chouk Chey and Prey Chan villages have cut off residents—many of whom have lived there for years—from their homes and farms, resulting in clashes with the Thai troops. Thai authorities have also put up banners ordering Cambodian villagers to leave by October 3 or face legal consequences under Thai law. There have been no incidents so far.
Banteay Meanchey provincial deputy governor Ly Vannarith said the Thai authorities cannot evacuate Cambodian residents who are living on their own land by placing pressure on them, adding that the situation along the border remains calm.
Meanwhile, Senate president Hun Sen condemned the “immoral” and “inhuman” act of Thai people playing a shooting game by using his portrait as a target, alleging that the intention is to provoke conflict amid a fragile ceasefire.
“Their intention is to provoke me, to cause me to lose patience during this fragile ceasefire, or at the very least, to incite some of our military forces and our people to retaliate or [trigger] conflict,” he posted on Facebook.
He urged Cambodians not to use the portrait of the Thai king or Thai leaders in any inappropriate or disrespectful manner, and to retrain from purchasing Thai goods. He also asked those living near the border to stop using Thai currency to pay for things.
The Thai government’s Public Relations Department did not immediately respond.
