Cambodian traders rally to open up

Cambodian traders are going to stage a rally on their own soil to pressure Thai authorities to reopen the border in the Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo so they can resume market trading at Talat Rong Klua.

Pol Col Artit Yakaew, superintendent of Sa Kaeo Immigration Bureau, said yesterday that he had received a report from Poi Pet Immigration Bureau on the planned rally.

The Cambodian traders under the banner of “The Cambodian Association for Economy Development” want Thailand to open the Klong Luek border, and will stage a “peaceful” rally from June 1-7 to pressure the Thai government to comply.

The group yesterday submitted a letter to the governor of Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province asking for permission to stage the gathering.

The rally is expected to be held by the Poipet border entry point of the ThaiCambodia Friendship Bridge.

Some 1,500 traders are expected to take part in the seven-day protest, running from 6am to 6pm.

But Pol Col Artit said Cambodian authorities had not yet granted the group a permit to stage the rally.

He said that there will be discussions between the governor of Banteay Meanchey and his counterpart in Sa Kaeo on Thursday.

Thanakrit Saisin, chief of the international disease control unit at the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint, told media that the governors will discuss with relevant agencies preventative measures to avoid the transmission of Covid-19 so that the checkpoint can be reopened and trade resume.