Cambodia Counters Thailand: If Villagers Are Banned from Agricultural Areas, Thailand Should Also Abstain from Using the Territory
Cambodia says Thailand must also stop using disputed border territory if Cambodian villagers are banned from farming there, following a Thai military intervention near the Cambodian-Thai border in Sakaew Province.
Cambodia has responded to Thailand's position following an incident where Thai military forces stopped Cambodian villagers from cultivating land in a disputed border area between markers 42-44 near Ban Ang Sila in Nong Mak Mun district, Kok Sung, Sakaew Province. Thai military personnel drove them out and used GPS to display red and blue line coordinates, citing violations of MOU 43, which requires both nations to cease operations in jointly claimed territory. Although negotiations concluded peacefully with Cambodia agreeing to halt the agricultural activities pending final border demarcation, Cambodia has now clarified that if Cambodian nationals cannot access the area, Thailand should equally refrain from using it until the international border demarcation process is completed.
