Cambodia Does Not Oppose Thailand’s Border Fence if Agreed by JBC, Official Says

Cambodia Does Not Oppose Thailand’s Border Fence if Agreed by JBC, Official Says

Cambodia does not oppose Thailand’s construction of a border fence within its own territory, provided the exact alignment is first agreed upon through the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), a senior Cambodian border official said, warning that building the fence before border demarcation could complicate future boundary work.

Speaking during a roundtable discussion broadcast by TVK on Tuesday, Sreu Bora, Director-General of the Technical Affairs Department at the State Secretariat of Border Affairs (SSBA), said both countries should first reach agreement on the border alignment through the JBC before any fence is constructed.

“What we want to see is for the JBC of both countries to first reach an agreement before the fence is built. It would not be too late to construct the fence afterwards,” Bora said.

The discussion focused on Thailand’s unilateral construction of a border fence between Boundary Markers No. 52 and 54 along the Cambodia-Thailand border between Battambang province and Thailand’s Chanthaburi province.

Bora said that while the fence is being built within Thai territory, its proximity to the borderline could complicate future border demarcation if the JBC agrees to install additional concrete boundary markers between the French-era boundary posts.

He noted that Thai military officials had previously said they would remove sections of the fence if future JBC demarcation affected the structure. However, he said Cambodia does not consider that to be an ideal approach, arguing that demolishing the fence after construction would not be a smooth process.

Bora reiterated that Cambodia does not oppose Thailand constructing a border fence, provided it is built within Thai territory and complies with technical border demarcation standards.

He added that Cambodian authorities have inspected all sites where Thailand has carried out unilateral activities along the border to monitor developments and assess any potential issues.

The official also urged Thailand to continue working through the JBC mechanism and allow the Joint Survey Team to conduct field surveys to more clearly determine the boundary line.

According to Bora, Cambodia has issued more than 30 diplomatic notes protesting what it describes as Thai activities that encroach on Cambodian territory, violate previous bilateral agreements, infringe upon Cambodia’s sovereignty, and undermine the work and achievements of the JBC.

-Khmer Times-