Vietnamese policemen are cutting down trees in the disputed border area between Cambodia and Vietnam and have chased Cambodian farmers in Ratanakkiri province off nearby land, provincial officials said Tuesday.
Moung Poy, Ratanakkiri provincial deputy governor, said on Tuesday that Vietnamese policemen had been cutting trees along the border in Chorng village, Andong Meas district, and prohibited farmers from working the land.
“The [Vietnamese] postponed their activities after the provincial governor ordered police to talk with the Vietnamese policemen to stop their activities,” Moung Poy said, adding that the Vietnamese policemen are currently patrolling the border area.
One RCAF infantry officer said he received a report on border disputes with Thailand and the alleged tree cutting by the Vietnamese.
“Now we are concerned about solving these problems and want to prevent the loss of our territory,” one unidentified RCAF official said. “We have tried to solve this in a peaceful way, without guns.”
Another Ratanakkiri police officer said he sent a report on the border problems in the province to the Ministry of Interior recently but has not been instructed by the ministry to take action in the matter.
Var Kim Hong, head of the Council of Ministers’ Joint Border Committee, said on Tuesday that he hadn’t received any report about the border problems.
