Police and military officers in Stung Treng province remain on standby after authorities in Laos ignored a request by their Cambodian counterparts to stop erecting a military base near a yet-to-be demarcated stretch of border in Thala Barivat district.

“Lao armed forces denied our request to stop the construction of a new military base in the disputed area,” said Ek Syvanndorn, Stung Treng provincial police deputy chief in charge of border affairs.

“We have blocked their trucks from transporting building material across our National Road 7 since April 1.

“They still continue digging but they don’t have material for construction, if they use their [roads] it will take a long time.”

Syvanndorn said military units would watch the situation closely until a diplomatic solution was reached.

Chhum Socheat, spokesman at the Ministry of Defense, said that provincial authorities had delivered a cessation request to the governor in Laos’ Champasak province but had not received a response.

Socheat said it was “not a serious issue”, and a peaceful solution would be reached.