Banteay Meanchey governor Oum Reatrey has sent a formal letter to Parinya Phothisat, governor of Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, protesting the planned issuance of land ownership certificates to Thai citizens.
The August 25 letter clarifies that land ownership certificates for land in the geographical area of Chok Chey village, O’Beichoan commune, O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province, cannot be issued to Thai citizens as it is Cambodian territory.
Reatrey stated that a promise to issue certificates to Thai citizens was published in an August 24 article in The Nation Thailand.
“The Banteay Meanchey provincial administration expresses concern over information published on August 24 which stated that the governor of Sa Kaeo Province has made a promise to issue land ownership certificates to Thai citizens in Nong Chan village, Khok Sung district, which is geographically adjacent to Chok Chey village in Banteay Meanchey province,” said the letter.
“It is the right of Thai authorities to issue titles to their citizens on their territory. However, such issuance must not affect Cambodia’s sovereignty or impact on areas where the Joint Border Committee (JBC) has not yet reached an agreement on border demarcation, or areas which Cambodian citizens are currently occupying and utilizing,” it added.
He noted that if the issuance of these certificates affects these areas, the Banteay Meanchey provincial administration strongly protests this action, as it violates the spirit of the 2000 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the governments of both countries, particularly regarding the negotiation process and border demarcation efforts of the JBC.
Reatrey requested that the Thai counterpart cooperate in a spirit of friendship and good neighbourliness to avoid creating tensions or negativity between the two sides.
According to The Nation, Phothisat made another statement today, August 25, vowing to claim the land and accusing Cambodians of encroaching on Thai territory.
On the same day, Thai soldiers who were attempting to install razor wire barricades were reportedly confronted by Cambodian villagers.
Local media reported that the villagers successfully destroyed the barricades.
Youk Chhang, director of the Documentation Centre of Cambodia (DC-Cam), was scathing in his response to the news that Thai soldiers attempted to erect more barricades.
“The Thai military is not smart by doing this, but it is hardly surprising,” he told The Post.
“This is neither socialist propaganda nor western-style public relations. It is the truth. Cambodia is telling the truth, and the Thai military cannot be trusted. Period,” he said.
