Former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen has insisted that the “Emerald Triangle” is on Cambodian soil and is calling for Thailand and Cambodia to settle this issue at the International Court of Justice, according to the Phnom Penh Post.
The Post published a photo showing then Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife, both wearing military fatigues, visiting area over 15 years ago.
“There is no way I could have worn a military uniform and taken photos in that area (if it was foreign territory). At that time, I was receiving Lao soldiers in a ceremonial hall there.
The hall burned down a few years ago,” said Hun Sen.
Both Thai and Cambodian armed forces have dispatched reinforcements to the disputed area, following a brief clash at the Chong Bok border pass in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province on May 28, which left one Cambodian soldier dead.
Hen Sen has claimed that Cambodian troops have been stationed in “Emerald Triangle” for 14 years, before the Paris Agreement of October 1991 and the signing of the memorandum of understanding in 2000.
He suggested that the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia could serve as a witness.
The former Cambodian prime minister claimed that, after the May 28th incident, some Thai extremists have posted offensive comments on his Facebook page, with the intention of souring the relationship between Thailand and Cambodia, and are demanding that Cambodia withdraws its troops from the disputed area.
“Cambodia cannot withdraw its troops from its own territory just because Thailand demands it. This same tactic was used by former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva over a decade ago,” said Hun Sen.
He also said that what the recent clash was just another episode in a recurring effort to grab Cambodian territory by low-level Thai commanders, supported by a Thai extremist group.
The “Emerald Tringle” is a 12 square kilometre area, where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia meet.
The land includes Chong Bok, which is in the Phu Chong Na Yoi National Park in Nam Yuen district of Ubon Ratchathani province.
It was the scene of a bloody war between Thai and Vietnamese forces between 1985 and 1987, when Cambodia was occupied by Vietnamese forces. 109 Thai soldiers were killed and Vietnamese forces were driven out of the area.
