Anti-ICJ protesters told to avoid border
PROTESTERS have the right to rally after the World Court's November 11 ruling on Thailand's dispute with Cambodia over land adjacent to Preah Vihear Temple, but they should not do so in strategically sensitive areas near the border, the Army chief said
The presence of protesters might block troop movements,” General Prayuth Chan-ocha said. Prayuth was speaking after visiting an Army Ranger task force in Si Sa Ket to ensure military preparedness ahead of the ruling.
He said he was concerned that protesters would seek to renounce the decision by the International Court of Justice, even though the situation was not critical enough to warrant such move.
He said his visit to the border areas was meant to boost morale, not to signal battle readiness. “I have instructed my subordinates to stay alert in order to rein in [any potentially violent situations], because fighting should not happen unnecessarily,” he said. There have been no unusual troop movements on the Cambodian side, the general said.
Troops stationed in border areas are under strict instructions to avoid any misunderstanding between themselves and forces across the border, and to foster good neighbourly ties, he said.
