Hun Sen Cambodia Laos Border conflict
Hun Sen threatens to evict Lao troops
Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned Laos that if its troops do not leave Cambodia territory by Thursday, he will send soldiers to remove them.
Speaking at an inauguration ceremony for the newly appointed president of the Royal Academy of Cambodia at the Peace Palace on Friday, Mr. Hun Sen called on Laos to withdraw its troops from Stung Treng province or face the consequences.
There have been border issues between Cambodia and Laos in Stung Treng province since February. Early this year almost 400 soldiers from Laos crossed the border and ordered a group of Cambodian military engineers to stop work on a road they claimed cut into Lao territory.
Mr. Hun Sen on Friday confirmed that he informed his Lao counterpart many times about this issue and had also written a letter to Laos’ premier in an effort to resolve the issue, but he has not received any response from Mr. Sisoulith.
“I ordered Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn to meet with the Laos embassy and I have to fly immediately to Laos in order to meet the Lao prime minister,” he said. “I want to go Laos to talk clearly about this issue.
“I say honestly, if our brothers and sisters see troop movements, please do not get shocked. The target is Stung Treng,” Mr. Hun Sen said, adding that he already ordered Division 6 and other commanders to go there.
He also ordered BМ-21, or truck-mounted multiple rocket launchers, to go there.
“Please withdraw the troops from Cambodia without conditions, and the deadline is not more than August 17,” he said.
