THAI police were forced to fire tear gas and rubber bullets at Cambodian civilians armed with sticks as they tried to tear down the border barbed wire fence at Sa Kaeo and attacked them in doing so, Naewna newspaper said this evening (Sep. 17).
The Thai army’s Thanching web page posted a message that at 3.53 p.m. Burapha Task Force was alerted that around 200 Cambodians armed with three-metre-long sticks started dismantling the barbed wire fence at Ban Nong Ya Kaew in this eastern border province. Police warned them to stop but to no avail. Negotiations were held for around 30 minutes but this was also unsuccessful.
At 4.20 p.m. riot control officers were forced to use light to heavy measures to control the Khmer crowd, first firing tear gas as a warning but they persisted in removing the barbed wire fence.
The riot control unit was then forced to fire rubber bullets with some Cambodians having retreated when tear gas was fired.
A security source stated that after the international observer team who the Cambodians had brought to this spot had returned, Thai troops rebuilt the barbed wire fence as means of protection.
However, Cambodian forces continued to send more people to cause disturbance and assault officers. Thai police have been instructed to monitor, prevent disturbance and take action and upon using tear gas the situation was brought under control.
CAPTION:
The standoff between Thai police and Cambodian civilians at Sa kaeo today, Sep. 17, 2025. Photos: Naewna
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