Phnom Penh:A spokesperson for Cambodia's Ministry of Interior has firmly rejected Thailand's claims about the status of two border villages, urging the Thai government to address boundary disputes through bilateral dialogue rather than unilateral actions.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, H.E. Touch Sokhak, the deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, responded to Thai allegations that Cambodian residents in the villages of Chouk Chey and Prey Chan are occupying Thai territory illegally.
He stated that the claims made by Thailand's representative to the United Nations are unfounded, reiterating that Cambodian citizens in these villages are not living on Thai soil. He emphasized that the international boundary between Cambodia and Thailand is defined by historical treaties, including the Franco-Siamese Convention of 1904, the Treaty of 1907, and related maps, with the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) as the appropriate platform for field demarcation.
H.E. Touch Sokhak called for Thailand to expedite joint demarcation efforts through the JBC if it is confident in its territorial claims, rather than engaging in acts such as deploying troops, erecting barbed wire, setting up shipping containers, and digging trenches, which he described as attempts to manipulate the border line.
The spokesperson highlighted that a pressing issue under international law is the displacement of around 20,000 Cambodian villagers who are unable to return home following the illegal occupation and damage of their communities by Thai military forces.