Bangkok: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that Ban Nong Chan is Thai territory, despite ongoing protests, but Cambodia remains silent. The Ministry clarified that "Ban Nong Chan" is a Thai area that was once used as a temporary evacuation center. It revealed that in 2017, it had requested that the national flag be removed, but Cambodia did not respond, even though it violated Article 5 of the MOU 43.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Nikorndej Plangkura, Director-General of the Department of Information and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with Mr. Benjamin Sukanjanatti, Director-General of the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs, addressed Cambodia's accusations that Thailand had installed barbed wire in the Ban Nong Chan area of Khok Sung District, Sa Kaeo Province, which marks the Thai-Cambodian border. Mr. Nikorndej stated that the area was originally a temporary shelter for Cambodians fleeing past fighting and entering Thailand in 1981. He emphasized that this action does not violate the agreement reached at the previous GBC meeting in Malaysia, where both sides agreed to refrain from constructing or developing military infrastructure or strengthening military positions that encroach on their territory.
Mr. Benjamin stated that Ban Nong Chan is located between border markers 46 and 47, a boundary that aligns with the 1947 French-Siamese Agreement. In 1981, Thailand commissioned the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to establish a temporary evacuation center to provide humanitarian relief to Cambodians fleeing the civil war. At UNHCR's request, Thai soldiers erected a fence to mark the boundary. After the war ended in 1999, those Cambodians continued to build homes and expand their farmland beyond the fence we see today.
In the past, the Thai side has held four meetings of the National Security Council's Border Demarcation Committee, which discussed the issue. The meeting resolved to ensure that Cambodian citizens do not expand their farming areas, to hold peaceful discussions and negotiations with the Cambodian side, and to expedite the survey and marking of the border.
On August 28-30, 2002, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Thai Survey Department held discussions with the then-Cambodian JBC Chairman and requested that Cambodia relocate. However, Cambodia stated that it would first need to verify the exact alignment of the boundary markers 46 and 47. In September 2017, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a letter of protest to Cambodia regarding the expansion of the Ban Nong Chan community, which included raising the Cambodian flag and establishing a Cambodian government agency in the area. This action violated Thai sovereignty and violated Article 5 of MOU 43. Therefore, they requested the removal of the national flag and the community's relocation. Cambodia did not respond or object.
Mr. Benjamin reiterated that this has not been a widespread social issue, as the Thai side has always been aware that Cambodian refugees are being allowed to temporarily reside there. However, since current Cambodians are now claiming the area belongs to Cambodia, it is imperative that the Thai side protest and clarify the facts.
When asked about the response from the protesters, Mr. Benjamin stated that while protests have continued in many areas, they have not been met with positive feedback and inaction. He emphasized that any areas where he sees encroachment, he must protest. His protests are based on legal grounds, as MOU 43 clearly states that altering the terrain in areas that are not yet clear is prohibited.