SA KAEO, Thailand – The 1st Army Area has clarified its installation of a barbed wire fence in Sa Kaeo, stating it is a security measure based on a prior agreement.
The 1st Army Area has issued a clarification regarding the installation of a barbed wire fence at the border area of Ban Nong Chan in Sa Kaeo province, affirming that the action is not related to any vested interests.
According to the clarification, the fence does not represent an official border demarcation but is a military security measure implemented according to a “post-clash agreement” made during the August 7th General Border Committee talks, which stipulate that all parties are to “stay where you are.” This explains why the fence separates existing Cambodian settlements rather than aligning with official border markers.
The 1st Army Area provided historical context, stating that the area is Thai territory where Cambodian refugees were permitted to take shelter from the Khmer Rouge regime starting in 1979. Satellite imagery shows that no village existed in the area in 1985, whereas a settlement is clearly visible by 2025. The statement asserts that what began as a temporary refuge has become a permanent settlement encroaching on Thai land, and the current measures are part of an effort to reclaim sovereign territory. (NNT)
