Cambodia orders troops on ‘alert’, cuts Thai TV shows in border spat
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A Thai officer, and Cambodian soldiers and officials at the Thai Prime Minister’s visit to a border checkpoint on June 11. Officials from both sides will discuss border disputes on June 14.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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Phnom Penh – Cambodia ordered troops to stay on “full alert” and banned Thai dramas on television on June 13 as part of an ongoing border spat between the South-east Asian neighbours.
Phnom Penh also shut off internet connections routed through Thailand on the eve of a meeting between the two sides aimed at defusing tensions following deadly clashes in May.
Violence flared on May 28 in an area known as the Emerald Triangle,
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a Facebook post on the night of June 12 that the country was disconnecting all internet bandwidth from Thailand, leaving some users complaining of slow speeds.
The ministries of information and cultures also ordered television stations and cinemas to stop airing Thai TV series.
Influential former leader Hun Sen – Mr Hun Manet’s father – urged the government on June 13 to halt “imports of Thai goods into the Cambodian market” if Thailand refused to lift restrictions imposed on border checkpoints in recent days.
He told troops to be on alert, writing on Facebook: “All armed forces must remain on full alert 24 hours a day, ready to respond and defend in the event of aggression.”
Mr Hun Sen also urged the authorities in provinces near the border to be prepared to evacuate residents to safer areas.
The Cambodian authorities announced that the popular Daung-Ban Laem border crossing with Thailand would be closed indefinitely from June 13. The Cambodian immigration department said the measure was to ensure “security and safety for people”.
In another Facebook post, Mr Hun Sen encouraged Thai farmers to protest against their country’s military.
He said Cambodia would reopen the border crossing when all border restrictions imposed by the Thai military were lifted.
Cambodian and Thai officials will meet in Phnom Penh on June 14 to discuss the border dispute.
The row dates back to the drawing of the 800km frontier, largely done during the French occupation of Indochina.
The region has seen sporadic violence since 2008, resulting in at least 28 deaths.
Mr Hun Manet announced earlier in June that Cambodia would file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over four disputed border areas, including the site of the latest clash.
The ICJ ruled in 2013 that a disputed area next to Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia, but Thailand says it does not accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction.
On June 8, armies from both countries agreed to reposition their soldiers at the site of the latest clash to avoid confrontations.
Thailand has closed some border crossings and tightened border controls with Cambodia in recent days. AFP
