Phnom penh: The Banteay Meanchey Provincial Administration of Cambodia has strongly protested against the Sa Kaeo Provincial Administration of Thailand for raising banners on Sept. 28 that sought to apply Thai domestic laws on Cambodian citizens living in Chork Chey and Prey Chan villages, O’ Beichoan commune, O’ Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the protest is rooted in a letter dated Sept. 28, where H.E. Oum Reatry, Governor of Banteay Meanchey, emphasized that these actions threaten the rights of Cambodian citizens who have resided and worked in the villages long before the Memorandum of Understanding between Cambodia and Thailand on the Survey and Demarcation of Land Boundary (MoU 2000) was established.

The Banteay Meanchey Provincial Administration stated that the Sa Kaeo Provincial Administration lacks the authority to demarcate the border or enforce Thai domestic laws on Cambodian communities in areas where the boundary line remains unfixed. As per the MoU 2000 and the minutes of the Special Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting on Sept. 10, 2025, both parties agreed to maintain the status quo until the border demarcation is completed.

The letter highlighted that unilateral actions by Sa Kaeo amount to provocations, escalating tensions in the conflict area and violating the July 28, 2025, ceasefire agreement and outcomes of the Extraordinary GBC Meeting on Aug. 7, 2025. It also referenced the Extraordinary Regional Border Committee (RBC) Meetings and the minutes of the Special GBC Meeting of Sept. 10, 2025, where both sides agreed to avoid actions undermining mutual trust or expanding the conflict’s scope. Specific points from these minutes tasked the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) and RBC with resolving issues and maintaining peace.

As a result, the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Administration has requested the Sa Kaeo counterpart to halt the activities and uphold the agreed status quo. Governor Oum Reatry expressed hope that Sa Kaeo province will adhere to ceasefire conditions and suspend plans to evict families from their longstanding homes and lands, pending the JBC’s resolution of the border demarcation issue.