A week after the “positive outcome” of the special General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, the Thai army fired tear gas and air guns against Cambodian civilians, resuming the installation of razor wire in Prey Chan village in Banteay Meanchey. It follows Tuesday’s confrontation between Cambodian residents at Prey Chan and the Thai army.
Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said Thai soldiers continue to violate Cambodia’s sovereignty by expanding into the village. He added that Thai soldiers, armed with shields, batons, and firearms, used tear gas, rubber bullets, and a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) against Cambodian citizens, injuring several people, including monks.
Videos posted on social media show that monk, journalists, civilians and soldiers were injured by air guns.
Quoting provincial authorities, Pheaktra said at least 23 Cambodian citizens, monks, soldiers, and police were seriously injured.
Government spokesperson Pen Bona, during a press conference on Wednesday, condemned the Thai military for attacking Cambodian civilians, including monks, urging them to respect the ceasefire agreement.
This morning, Banteay Meanchey and Sa Kaeo provincial governors held a meeting at the Poipet International Border Crossing to coordinate and discuss a good solution for the people in both provinces.
During the meeting, Banteay Meanchey Governor Oum Reatrey made four requests to the Thai side: maintain the status quo and await the Joint Border Committee’s decision; allow residents to stay in their homes and remove the barbed wire and other obstacles; refrain from further actions, such as installing more barriers or issuing ownership claims; and refer matters beyond provincial jurisdiction to the GBC and JBC.
Local residents in Prey Chan yesterday filmed the confrontation live on Facebook, with more than 100 armed Thai soldiers. The Thai army has repeatedly attempted to lay razor wire in new areas of Prey Chan and Chouk Chey villages in O’Beichoan commune, in addition to installing barriers in two other locations. The installations have affected 12 families—six in each village.
A recent confrontation occurred on September 4 in Chouk Chey. The building of the barricades has been strongly condemned by the Cambodian government since August 12, accusing Thai soldiers of expanding into disputed areas and undermining the ceasefire agreement.
The September 16 incident took place just days after the IOT visited O’Beichoan commune on September 13. The team has yet to release an official statement about the situation, and while ASEAN has not yet established its planned Observer Team (AOT), this is not the first IOT visit to the site. Despite these visits, Thai forces have continued installing razor wire and confronting Cambodian residents.
Meanwhile, on September 10, the same day the special GBC meeting was held, the Thai army also constructed bunkers in Prey Chan, in an area they call Ban Nong Chan in Sa Kaeo province. The construction is now reportedly 60% complete.
Hul Malis, a Prey Chan resident of more than 20 years whose house was fenced off by the Thai army in August, told CamboJA News that another razor wire was installed on September 16, about 150 meters behind her home.
She also said Thai soldiers have built bunkers roughly 100 meters from her home.
Malis currently lives in a tent next to the fence erected by Thai soldiers. She has not been able to work and relies on support from fellow villagers.
“I don’t know what will happen next—Thai soldiers still want our land every day,” she said. “I am worried, but I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to move far from my home.”
She added that Thai troops fly drones in the area two or three times a day.
Banteay Meanchey provincial spokesperson Ly Sovannarith confirmed the September 16 confrontation, saying it lasted from about 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Prey Chan. He noted that the Thai army’s bunker construction is taking place at the same site where barbed wire was installed in August.
Local Thai media reported that following a meeting between Banteay Meanchey and Sa Kaeo provincial governors, the Thai military said it would remove Cambodian residents from areas it claims are encroachments on Thai territory.
Earlier this month, authorities in Sa Kaeo installed signs ordering Cambodian villagers to dismantle their homes and vacate the land, warning that failure to comply could lead to legal action, according to Thai media.
National Defense Ministry spokesperson Chhum Socheat did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
Beyond the confrontation in Banteay Meanchey, the Thai Navy has also protested what it calls Cambodian encroachment in three areas of Trat province, demanding Cambodian troops withdraw and halt construction. The navy warned of possible escalation if Cambodia fails to remove buildings and trenches from the disputed border areas.
Trat shares a long border with Cambodia’s Veal Veng district in Pursat province and Koh Kong province.
Regarding this, the National Defense Ministry said Cambodia has already clarified the issue, with some matters resolved in a February 2022 reply from the 5th Military Region Command. As for the remaining disputes, the ministry said, it should be referred to the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) under the 2000 border demarcation MoU.
The ministry also urged parties to avoid doing anything that would escalate tension or cause disputed areas to be expanded.
The renewed tensions occurred shortly after the special GBC meeting that was welcomed by embassies in Cambodia as a positive step toward normalizing the border situation.
On his Facebook page, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin wrote that “there is no obstacle insurmountable, and no problem unsolvable”. He expressed hope that both countries would seize the opportunity to accelerate reconciliation, noting that China’s Special Envoy is currently on his third mediation mission and stands ready to provide assistance where both sides are willing.
