Cambodia Protests Thai Banner Claiming Legal Authority in Border Villages

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Sept. 29, 2025) — The Banteay Meanchey Provincial Administration has lodged a formal protest with Thai authorities in Sa Kaeo Province over a banner asserting Thai legal jurisdiction in two Cambodian villages along the unsettled border.

The banner, erected Sept. 28 by Thai officials, claimed Thai domestic law applies to Cambodian citizens living in Chokchey and Prey Chan villages, located in O’Bei Choan Commune, Ou Chrov District, Banteay Meanchey Province.

In a letter addressed to Sa Kaeo officials, Banteay Meanchey Governor Um Reatrey condemned the move as a violation of the rights of Cambodian citizens who have resided in the area for generations—long before the signing of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Cambodia and Thailand on land border demarcation.

“The Sa Kaeo Provincial Administration does not have the authority to determine borders or enforce Thai domestic law on Cambodian communities that have been and are currently residing and depending on areas where border demarcation has not yet been completed,” Um Reatrey wrote.

The protest underscores ongoing tensions between the two provinces, following previous incidents involving similar banners that have drawn criticism from Cambodian officials.

Authorities in Banteay Meanchey view such actions as provocative and a threat to national sovereignty, particularly as both countries continue diplomatic efforts to resolve border disputes.

The 2000 MOU established a framework for peaceful negotiation and joint technical work to demarcate the shared border. Several areas, including those surrounding Chokchey and Prey Chan villages, remain under dispute.