Cambodia border chief to be questioned over border agreements with Vietnam

PHNOM PENH, Oct 10, 2019, Khmer Times. Cambodia Border Affairs Committee chairman Var Kimhong will appear at the Supreme Consultative Council tomorrow to be questioned over the signing of two legal documents to settle land demarcation with Vietnam last week, reported the Khmer Times.

Pich Sros, a member of the SCC and Cambodian Youth Party president, said that he sent a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen today, asking him to allow Mr Kimhong and his delegations to clarify border agreements with Vietnam and other neighbouring countries.

“Please, Samdech Techo, allow senior minister Var Kimhong to lead his delegation to appear before the SCC members to elaborate positive and negative points regarding two border agreements signed between Cambodia and Vietnam,” Mr Sros said in a letter.

During his two-day official visit to Hanoi last week, Mr Hun Sen and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Saturday presided over the Review Conference on Cambodia-Vietnam Land Boundary Demarcation, where several documents were signed, including ones to ratify the demarcated border.

The conference concluded with the signing of two legal documents – a document to support a 1985 supplemental protocol and 2005 agreement on border demarcation, as well as a document to acknowledge the demarcations as legal documents.

Mr Hun Sen and Nguyen Xuan Phuc also ratified 84 percent of border demarcation work completed between the two nations last week.

Mr Kimhong said today that he will attend the SCC’s meeting tomorrow.

“I have already had an order from Samdech Techo to appear at the SCC. I will come tomorrow,” he said. “We have nothing to hide. Samdech Prime Minister orders me to clarify it so I will do it.”

“When the Prime Minister orders his official to appear at the meeting, I have to accept his order,” Mr Kimhong added.