Banteay Meanchey provincial governor Oum Reatrey has written to Parinya Phothisat, governor of the bordering Thai province of Sa Kaeo, asking that Thailand maintain the original border situation, respect international law and halting any activities such as the laying of razor wire.
In his September 18 letter, Reatrey urged the Thai side to adhere to the ceasefire agreement of July 28, the outcomes of the extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) meeting on August 7, the Regional Border Committee meeting results, and the special GBC meeting on September 10.
He stated that the Thai side should not escalate disputes or disagreements and should await resolutions from the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Committee (JBC), which will meet in the near future.
Secondly, he requested that Thailand respect the principles of international law, particularly the 2000 MoU and the 2003 TOR. He emphasised that Cambodian citizens must be allowed to return to their homes, and Thailand must remove razor wire, tarps, and vehicle tyres from the areas they have placed them.
“We request the Thai side to avoid various activities, such as installing additional razor wire, issuing ownership documents, damaging homes and properties of people living near the wire barricades, and conducting other activities in areas where the JBC of both parties has not yet reached an agreement,” was his third point.
His fourth request was to leave matters beyond the authority of provincial administrations to be resolved by the GBC or JBC.
“I ask His Excellency the governor, to acknowledge and cooperate in implementing these requests to avoid the spread of false information, fake news, accusations and inflammatory rhetoric, thereby reducing tensions and fostering a conducive environment for peaceful negotiations,” he added.
This is not the first time that Reatrey has written to the Thai side. He has repeatedly called for the Thai authorities to cease the installation of barricades and to allow the JBC to resolve border issues.
The Thais appear to have shown little concern, and have continued to install razor wire in various locations in O’Chrov district. This led to a September 17 clash with Cambodian villagers which left nearly 30 injured.
Today, September 19, Thai forces attempted to install razor wire near the Boeng Trakoun checkpoint in Thma Puok district, but were forced to retreat after villagers protested.
