Phnom Penh: Cambodia on Tuesday blocked imports of Thai vegetables and fruit, and Thailand banned its nationals from working at some casinos inside Cambodia in fresh fallout from a border dispute sparked by a 10-minute firefight last month. Cambodia’s Ministry of Information announced that beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, authorities along the border with Thailand closed gates to halt the import of Thai agricultural products.
According to Radio Free Asia, Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that Cambodia will only permit the Thai imports if the Thai military reopens all border checkpoints and resumes normal operations. This condition is also tied to discussions on reducing troop numbers at the border. The Thai military had planned to propose a reduction in troop deployments during a Thailand-Cambodia Regional Border Committee meeting scheduled for June 27-28. However, Deputy Defense Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit informed that Cambodia, the host of the meeting, has indefinitely postponed it, as reported by The Nation.
On Tuesday, the Thai military issued a ban on Thais crossing the border to work at casinos and entertainment venues in Poipet, situated on the Cambodian side of the main land border crossing between the two countries, opposite the eastern Thai town of Aranyaprathet. As gambling establishments are illegal in Thailand, they are prevalent near key border crossings in neighboring countries like Cambodia.
The Bangkok Post reported that the order came into effect on Tuesday at 8 a.m. and will remain until further notice, with the aim of ensuring the safety of Thai citizens. Police Col. Napatrapong Supaporn, the immigration police chief in Sa Kaeo province, advised Thais currently in Poipet to return home for their own safety.
Meanwhile, Cambodian authorities in border provinces such as Pursat and Preah Vihear announced via Facebook that hundreds of families had been evacuated from frontline areas to safer locations. This week, Cambodia submitted a request for the International Court of Justice in The Hague to rule on the demarcation of four border locations, including the site of last month’s clash.
The border dispute has its historical roots, with disagreements over which maps to use in demarcating territory. The last significant and violent flare-up in tensions occurred between 2008 and 2011, centered around a disputed 11th-century temple at Preah Vihear. The International Criminal Court has granted sovereignty over the temple to Cambodia.