Nearly 6,000 border crimes in 2016: ministry

The National Defense Ministry’s annual draft report showed that Cambodia’s borders are still at risk of abuse from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, despite the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) cracking down on nearly 6,000 border crimes over the past year. A 23-page draft report, which Khmer Times obtained yesterday, said the RCAF had patrolled and monitored border posts and cracked down on a total of 5,779 crimes in 2016, of which 3,112 occurred at the Cambodian-Thai border, 1,610 at the border with Vietnam and 1,057 with Laos.
 

According to the report, some helicopters from Thailand had flown and patrolled border areas and demarcations without notifying the Cambodian side. The Thais also built a steel-roofed tent in front of the geographic frontier post without telling Cambodia. Thai soldiers also shot and arrested some Cambodians who had illegally crossed into Thailand for logging and other work.
 

The report also said that Vietnamese troops settled on about 450 meters of Cambodian forest and constructed piling posts that were about 30 meters closer from international border posts. In addition, 40 Vietnamese with 10 fishing boats crossed into Cambodian territory for fishing and clashed with coalition forces, causing injuries on both sides, the report added.

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