[Vietnamization: Indochina, border] Nearly 6,000 border crimes in 2016: ministry

Multiple threats have been identified on Cambodia’s borders with its neighbors. Supplied

Defense Minister Tea Banh says that political tension is no longer a concern. Supplied

Nearly 6,000 border crimes in 2016: ministry

Khmer Times | 3 January 2017

The National Defense Ministry’s annual draft report showed that Cambodia’s borders are still at risk of abuse from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, despite the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) cracking down on nearly 6,000 border crimes over the past year.
 

A 23-page draft report, which Khmer Times obtained yesterday, said the RCAF had patrolled and monitored border posts and cracked down on a total of 5,779 crimes in 2016, of which 3,112 occurred at the Cambodian-Thai border, 1,610 at the border with Vietnam and 1,057 with Laos.
 

According to the report, some helicopters from Thailand had flown and patrolled border areas and demarcations without notifying the Cambodian side. The Thais also built a steel-roofed tent in front of the geographic frontier post without telling Cambodia.
 

Thai soldiers also shot and arrested some Cambodians who had illegally crossed into Thailand for logging and other work.
 

The report also said that Vietnamese troops settled on about 450 meters of Cambodian forest and constructed piling posts that were about 30 meters closer from international border posts.
 

In addition, 40 Vietnamese with 10 fishing boats crossed into Cambodian territory for fishing and clashed with coalition forces, causing injuries on both sides, the report added. 

[T2P: Squid Inc.

About 15 km from where the thung chai were floating last week is the island of Koh Tang, and the Koh Tang Naval Base. On the mainland, some 40 km away, is the Navy headquarters.

None of this inspires concern among the fishermen.

“We moor half the time at Koh Rong Sanloem and half at Koh Tang,” Mr. Truong said. “It’s as if we are living in Vietnamese territory.”

 

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Meanwhile, Lao soldiers entered Cambodian territory between demarcation numbers 57 and 68 and built a military post and immigration police office. They also arrested Cambodian citizens who crossed the border into Lao territory.

Four Laos were found logging and hunting on Cambodian soil and were arrested.
 

Opposition CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann said he believed the Cambodian government should send diplomatic notes to those countries and make them public to reach a peaceful solution.
 

“Diplomatic notes are important but the participation of citizens, civil society and the opposition to protect our sovereignty and border security is more important,” he said.

“The government needs to address this and we still hope the government will open its heart to this problem and solve it together.”
 

In August, Cambodia issued its 23rd diplomatic note to Vietnam since 2011. The note asked Vietnam to stop all construction projects and refrain from taking any action along the border between the two countries in areas that had not been demarcated.
 

Defense Minister Tea Banh said the ministry’s 2016 annual meeting resulted in some new ideas and suggestions from officials over creating a new plan for 2017.
 

He also stressed that the political tension in the country was no longer a concern.
 

“I ask you to appeal to your family and relatives to check the voter registration list in the upcoming days and be ready to vote,” he said.
 

“For the political situation right now, soldiers or armed forces shall not interfere with politics since we are independent. Cambodia has postponed an armed forces exercise with the US from 2017 to 2018 as we now have a stable political situation.”