Members of the Thai military are reportedly escorting Thai villagers as they survey rice fields around the occupied Cambodian village of Chouk Chey.
Thai authorities say they intend to distribute the fields to farmers from nearby Nong Chan village, on the Thai side of the border.
According to an April 2 statement from the Royal Thai Army, the soldiers escorted the farmers as they surveyed more than 2,700 “rai” (equivalent to 432 hectares) on March 31. They assert that the land is within the boundaries of Nong Chan village. However, Cambodian authorities have previously stated that it is within Chouk Chey village, Cambodia.
The Thai Burapha Task Force, under the First Army Region, escorted more than 10 of what they claim to be “landowners” to see the land, claiming that it has been encroached on by Cambodia for more than 40 years.
The Thai Army claimed that they have cleared the land of unexploded ordnance (UXO), rendering it 100 per cent safe, and are now encouraging Thai farmers to plant crops in the upcoming rainy season.
They also announced that two new roads have been constructed to facilitate access to the land, adding that they will station forces there to provide close, long-term security to ensure their citizens feel safe and can maintain their livelihoods.
The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has repeatedly protested Thai surveys of occupied land, with the most recent protest letter issued on March 20.
The ministry noted that Thai armed forces, along with officials from the Forestry Department and Cadastral officers, have conducted land measurements and issued three plots of land to Thai citizens in Chouk Chey village between border markers No. 46 and 47.
Cambodia reiterated that it does not accept any border lines or territorial claims made unilaterally by Thailand.