Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
A source indicated that Thailand demanded that Cambodia pulls back the new border gate, which is not even official yet, by 210 meters inside Cambodia. However, the Cambodian side rejected this demand claiming that it will send the Thai request to the Cambodian committee for border resolution to make a decision on this issue.
The demand for Cambodia to pull back its border in Choam Sra-ngam by 210 meters was made during a one-and-half hour meeting between the Thai side led by the 2-star general Niphat Thonglek, the official in charge of border, and the Cambodian side was led by General Kieng Savuth, a task director of the army headquarter and advisor to prime minister Hun Sen.
The meeting was held on 17 July at the Choam Sra-ngam gate, on top of the Dangrek mountain chain, located in Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, neighboring with Thailand’s Phusing district, Sisaket province. Regarding the border gate in Chaom Sra-ngam, in October of 2006, the Thai side pushed a metallic building into the “white zone” without the agreement from the Cambodian and the Thai committees for border resolution.
Yim Phanna, the Anlong Veng district governor, told Koh Santepheap that he does not know about this issue, and that he is too busy in Siem Reap province. Var Kim Hong, president of the Cambodian government border committee said that he does not know yet about the issue of Thailand demanding Cambodia to pull back its border gate back by 210 meters. He explained that the regarding the border issue, no one can make a decision [except his committee]. As for the Thai request, in the past, Thailand already violated Cambodia borderline, so at this time, they are not allowed to come in further (into Cambodia).
The demand for Cambodia to pull back its border in Choam Sra-ngam by 210 meters was made during a one-and-half hour meeting between the Thai side led by the 2-star general Niphat Thonglek, the official in charge of border, and the Cambodian side was led by General Kieng Savuth, a task director of the army headquarter and advisor to prime minister Hun Sen.
The meeting was held on 17 July at the Choam Sra-ngam gate, on top of the Dangrek mountain chain, located in Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, neighboring with Thailand’s Phusing district, Sisaket province. Regarding the border gate in Chaom Sra-ngam, in October of 2006, the Thai side pushed a metallic building into the “white zone” without the agreement from the Cambodian and the Thai committees for border resolution.
Yim Phanna, the Anlong Veng district governor, told Koh Santepheap that he does not know about this issue, and that he is too busy in Siem Reap province. Var Kim Hong, president of the Cambodian government border committee said that he does not know yet about the issue of Thailand demanding Cambodia to pull back its border gate back by 210 meters. He explained that the regarding the border issue, no one can make a decision [except his committee]. As for the Thai request, in the past, Thailand already violated Cambodia borderline, so at this time, they are not allowed to come in further (into Cambodia).
