Cambodia threatens to ban Thai fruit and veg over border row

Phnom Penh – Cambodia’s influential former leader Hun Sen on June 16 issued an ultimatum to Thailand to lift border crossing restrictions or his country will ban all imports of Thai fruit and vegetables in the latest round of the border spat between the two countries.

One Cambodian soldier was killed on May 28 as troops exchanged fire in a disputed area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet.

The Thai and Cambodian armies both said they acted in self-defence.

Thailand has tightened border controls with Cambodia in recent days, while Cambodia ordered troops on June 13 to stay on “full alert”, banned Thai dramas from television and cinemas, closed a popular border checkpoint, and cut internet bandwidth from Thailand.

In an address to the nation, Mr Hun Sen – the father of current Prime Minister Hun Manet – threatened to ban all fruit and vegetables from Thailand unless Bangkok lifted all border crossing restrictions within 24 hours.

“If the Thai side does not open border crossings to normalcy today, tomorrow we will implement throughout the border banning the imports of fruit and vegetables to Cambodia,” Mr Hun Sen said.

The two sides held talks on June 14 aimed at defusing the row, which Thailand said had made progress.

But after Mr Hun Sen’s remarks on June 16, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said her country would not be bullied or threatened, and warned that “unofficial” communication would harm diplomatic efforts.

“Messages via unofficial channels do not bring good results for both countries,” she said after meeting Thai military commanders and defence and foreign ministry officials.

Cambodia on June 15 formally asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help resolve the border dispute in four areas – the site of May’s clash