BANGKOK: Local villagers in Sa Kaeo on Tuesday (Oct 14) voiced support for a social activist’s use of powerful sound trucks and open-air movie screenings late at night to pressure Cambodian encroachers to leave two border villages.
Residents of Tambon Non Mak Moon in Sa Kaeo’s Khok Sung district backed activist Kannathat Pongpaibulwet, also known as “Kan the Super Power”, who hired two sound trucks and open-air film crews to broadcast horrifying sound effects from Thai ghost movies and screen documentaries about Cambodian refugees near the border.
‘Ghost sounds’ used to pressure encroachers
Kannathat organised the nightly screenings and sound blasts at Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaew for four nights from Oct 10, aiming to drive out Cambodian settlers who had seized the villages decades after their ancestors were given temporary shelter during the Cambodian civil war in 1979.
However, his unconventional tactics drew criticism from human rights activists, including Senator Angkhana Neelapaijit, who warned that Thailand could be accused of violating the Convention Against Torture by using frightening sounds to intimidate Cambodians.
Following the backlash, Kannathat announced that the night of Oct 13 would be the last night he used the sound-based strategy.
Locals say they are willing to lose sleep
Despite the criticism, many Thai villagers living near the Cambodian communities said they supported the tactic, arguing that all other measures to remove the encroachers from Thai soil had failed.
The villagers said Kannathat directed the loudspeakers toward Chouk Chey village – opposite Ban Nong Chan – and Prey Chan village – opposite Ban Nong Ya Kaew. While Thai residents could still hear the noise late at night, they said they were “willing to sacrifice sleep” if it helped push Cambodian settlers to retreat.
Calm returns after four nights of sound blasts
On the morning of Oct 14, Cambodian villagers were not seen gathering along the barbed-wire fences at Chouk Chey and Prey Chan, where they had previously protested against Thai troops. The situation along the border remained calm and peaceful.
A Thai villager added that some former Khmer Rouge soldiers who had fled to refugee camps in Thailand during the war were still alive, and that several reportedly wept after recognising themselves in the documentary films screened by Kannathat.
Meanwhile, a landmine clearance unit from the First Army Area continued operations across a 100,000 sq m area near Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaew on Oct 14, as part of ongoing efforts to secure the border zone. - The Nation/ANN
