AFTER Sa Kaeo provincial police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a large number of Cambodians tearing down barbed wire border fence yesterday (Sep. 17) two more companies of riot control police from Chachoengsao and Prachinburi were sent to this border area today, TV Channel 7 said.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Thitawat Suriyachai, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 2, and Pol. Maj. Gen. Thaworn Dulyawit, Sa Kaeo Provincial Police commander, oversaw crowd control preparedness by the two units with equipment for this purpose distributed to all officers.
They are travelling to Ban Nong Ya Kaew, Khok Sung district, Sa Kaeo, to beef up security, with Pol. Maj. Gen. Thitawat saying this followed a tense situation in this area yesterday when around 200 Cambodians tried to dismantle the barbed wire fence and both pressured and assaulted Thai officers.
Thai military and police officers responded by using riot control measures, firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the Khmer crowd, thus bringing the situation under control.
Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur where the 46th Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) meeting is taking place today Thai MP Rangsiman Rome successfully objected to and got an urgent agenda item filed by Cambodian representative Somdej Khuan Sudaree rejected for discussion, Amarin TV said.
The Khmer representative wanted the meeting to discuss the Thai-Cambodian conflict and reopening of border crossings.
However Rangsiman pointed out that there are already bilateral mechanisms in place to resolve the border tensions with high-level discussions taking place.
These include the General Border Committee (GBC) meeting to implement the July ceasefire agreement and the Regional Border Committee mechanism which is operating effectively on both security and humanitarian issues.
Moreover an Asean observer team led by Malaysia has already monitored the border ceasefire in Thailand and last month also went to Cambodia to oversee the situation there.
“Cambodia’s move to bring a direct issue between Thailand and Cambodia into a multilateral forum is inappropriate. Thailand insists that such issues should be resolved through direct negotiations between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, and serious confidence-building measures are already underway,” Rangsiman said.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Thai police in standoff with the big Cambodian crowd, above, and patrolling the barbed wire border fence, Front Page. Photos: Thai Rath
Insert: Thai MP Rangsiman Rome and Cambodian representative Somdej Khuan Sudaree addressing the AIPA meeting in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Amarin TV
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