Thai Army Reports Situation on Cambodian Removal Deadline
SA KAEO, Oct 10 (TNA) - Thailand's First Army Area Command reported a peaceful situation on Friday, the October 10 deadline set for Cambodian nationals to leave disputed border areas in Sa Kaeo province, confirming no operations requiring the use of weapons have taken place.
First Army Commander Lt. Gen. Worayot Lueangsuwan is currently on site closely monitoring developments. Tensions persisted at key points: at Ban Nong Chan, approximately 200 Thai civilians including media gathered to symbolize defense of Thai sovereignty, with Cambodian crowds also assembling across the line.
At Ban Nong Ya Kaeo, Thai forces, including a unit of Crowd Control Police, were deployed, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams began clearing a 38,256 sq. meter area for leftover explosives, an action Cambodia has requested be halted citing a GBC agreement violation.
The Thai Army reaffirmed its stance, insisting all actions are being conducted entirely within Thai sovereign territory and are compliant with national and international law.
Coinciding with these operations, the First Army Area Command escorted the Interim Observer Team (IOT) comprising of ASEAN representatives to the Ban Nong Ya Kaeo area at 3:00 p.m. The IOT observed the EOD teams clearing suspected landmines and received a briefing confirming that all procedures to manage the areas encroached upon by Cambodian nationals were being strictly executed under Thai law and international principles.
