On September 20, the Sa Kaeo provincial government asked Cambodians to leave the disputed territory ahead of an upcoming meeting on border issues between Thailand and Cambodia in October.
Thailand has asked Cambodian citizens that Thailand said have encroached on the border areas declared by Thailand to evacuate all disputed areas in Sa Kaeo province.
The announcement came after a meeting held on September 17 between Sa Kaeo Provincial Governor Parinya Phothisat and his counterpart in Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province, Mr. Oum Reatrey.
During the meeting, the Cambodian side proposed to maintain the current status of the disputed area according to the ceasefire agreement dated July 28 between the two countries and the results of the subsequent meetings of the Joint Border Committee (GBC) and the Regional Border Committee (RBC).
The two sides should refrain from escalating the dispute, awaiting future solutions from the Joint Border Committee (JBC) between Thailand and Cambodia, the Cambodian side said in a statement.
The statement also said that Thailand must allow Cambodian citizens to return to the disputed areas and remove the established barbed wire fences, nets and tire barriers.
Cambodia also requires Thailand not to install additional barbed wire fences, issue land ownership documents, demolish houses and assets near fences or carry out any activities in the disputed areas without JBC's approval.
On the same day, September 17, a violent confrontation occurred in Nong Ya Kaeo Ward, Khok Sung District, Sa Kaeo. Thai police eventually had to use pepper and rubber bullets to disperse the agitators, resulting in injuries on both sides.
