Summary of Cambodian protest at Ban Nong Chan area in Sa Kaeo
The Burapha Task Force has provided a summary of the events at the Thai-Cambodian border in the Ban Nong Chan area in Sa Kaeo province, confirming that no one was injured during the protest by around 200 Cambodian nationals on Thursday.
The task force explained that on Wednesday, September 3, local authorities from Sa Kaeo province, along with the Immigration Department and the Forest Resources Management Office 9, installed notice boards in the Ban Nong Chan and Nong Ya Kaew areas, instructing Cambodian nationals residing illegally on Thai land to dismantle their houses and leave the area.
The installation of these notices triggered dissatisfaction among the Cambodian residents, which led to the protest on Thursday, September 4, at 9.30am.
Around 200 Cambodians gathered at Ban Nong Chan to demonstrate. The protest was symbolic and did not involve any direct violence, although there were attempts to move closer to the notice boards.
The Burapha Task Force assessed that, if the situation continued without intervention, it could escalate into the destruction of barriers and lead to a confrontation. As a result, they instructed the local forces and police to maintain a preventative presence.
The task force further stated that the approach used was one of containment, psychological pressure, and crowd control to prevent the protesters from reaching the barriers, while ensuring the area was secured to avoid direct conflict.
By 6.30pm, the Cambodian protesters began to disperse peacefully, and by 10.00pm, no protesters remained in the area.
No personnel from the task force or Cambodian nationals were injured or killed, the Burapha Task Force confirmed, adding that the situation was successfully controlled without the use of force.
