Cambodia ordered its troops to stay on “full alert” Friday in its ongoing border spat with Thailand, as it ordered television stations and cinemas to stop showing Thai dramas.
On the eve of a meeting between the two sides aimed at defusing tensions after deadly clashes last month, Cambodia shut off internet connections routed through Thailand, leaving some users complaining of slow speeds.
Violence flared on May 28 in an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet, with one Cambodian soldier killed.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in a Facebook post on Thursday night that Cambodia was disconnecting all internet bandwidth from Thailand.
Influential former leader Hun Sen – Hun Manet’s father – on Friday morning urged the Government to halt “imports of Thai goods into the Cambodian market” in the event that Thailand refused to lift restrictions imposed on border checkpoints in recent days, and told troops to be on alert.
“All armed forces must remain on full alert 24 hours a day, ready to respond and defend in the event of aggression,” Hun Sen said in a Facebook post.
He also told authorities in provinces near the border to be prepared to evacuate residents to safer areas.
Cambodian and Thai officials will meet in Phnom Penh on Saturday to discuss the border dispute.
The disputed region has been the scene of sporadic violence since 2008, resulting in at least 28 deaths.
The row dates back to the drawing of the 800km frontier, largely done during the French occupation of Indochina.
Hun Manet announced this month that Cambodia would file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over four disputed border areas, including the site of the latest clash.
The ICJ ruled in 2013 that a disputed area next to Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia, but Thailand says it does not accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction.
On Sunday, armies from both countries agreed to reposition their soldiers in the site of the latest clash to avoid confrontations.
Thailand has closed some border crossings and tightened border controls with Cambodia in recent days.
– Agence France-Presse