- Photo: The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: The Royal Thai Army has insisted that Ban Nong Ya Kaeo in Sa Kaeo province lies firmly within Thailand’s sovereign territory, not in an area claimed by Cambodia.
It said the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against Cambodian protesters was in line with international crowd-control standards to prevent unrest from escalating into full-blown riots.
Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, army spokesman, said on Wednesday (Sept 17) that the measures were taken after Cambodian villagers gathered to obstruct Thai security forces who were installing additional barriers in Ban Nong Ya Kaeo, Khok Sung district.
The protesters, many armed with wooden sticks and slingshots, clashed with Thai officials, forcing riot police to intervene.
The clash followed a similar incident on September 16, when Cambodian villagers dismantled Thai defensive barriers in the same area. Winthai said some Thai officers were injured after being hit with stones, sticks and slingshot projectiles.
He stressed that the protesters had crossed into Thai territory, disrupted operations, and damaged property — clear violations of Thai law.
Cambodian authorities, meanwhile, failed to intervene, which Thailand views as a deliberate provocation and a breach of the ceasefire agreement by using civilians as a front line, he said.
Winthai defended the actions of Thai police, saying the tools deployed — tear gas and rubber bullets — were designed to disperse crowds and prevent riots, in accordance with international standards.
He reaffirmed that the incident took place within Thailand’s sovereignty, not on Cambodian land as Phnom Penh had suggested, adding that the Cambodian narrative was a distortion of facts. - The Nation/ANN
