PHNOM PENH (Khmer Times): Local media reports on Monday morning are suggesting that Thailand is considering a proposal to build a 55 km-long wall along the border with Cambodia in Sa Kaeo Province’s Aranyaprathet District to curb human and drug trafficking.
The report in VNExpress states that the Thai Defense Ministry’s spokesman Maj-Gen Thanathip Sawangsaeng said on Feb. 13 that the proposal for the wall was raised with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai during his visit to Aranyaprathet one day earlier.
The proposal was jointly submitted by police, army officers, and the Interior Ministry as a measure to strengthen efforts against human and drug trafficking along the Thailand-Cambodia border.
Thanathip explained that, at present, 55 km of the 165 km border are secured with barbed wire, while the remainder consists of natural terrain, which may be exploited by Cambodians attempting to enter the country illegally or by criminals smuggling people or drugs across the border.
Local authorities have proposed constructing an additional 55 km of wall at sensitive points, complementing the existing barbed wire defenses.
However, Thanathip noted that a comprehensive study is necessary to assess the potential impact on local communities and to ensure that the wall is built outside areas subject to overlapping territorial claims. -- KhmerTimes
