Cambodia orders troops on 'alert' in Thai border spat

PHNOM PENH

Cambodia ordered troops to stay on "full alert" and banned Thai dramas on television on June 13 in an ongoing border spat between the Southeast Asian neighbors.

Phnom Penh also shut off internet connections routed through Thailand on the eve of a meeting between the two sides aimed at defusing tensions following deadly clashes last month.

Violence flared on May 28 in an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet, with one Cambodian soldier killed.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet posted on Facebook late on June 12 that the country was disconnecting all internet bandwidth from Thailand, leaving some users complaining of slow speeds.

The ministries of information and cultures also ordered television stations and cinemas to stop airing Thai TV series.

Cambodian and Thai officials will meet in Phnom Penh on June 14 to discuss the border dispute.

The row dates back to the drawing of the 800-kilometer frontier, largely done during the French occupation of Indochina.

The region has seen sporadic violence since 2008, resulting in at least 28 deaths.

Hun Manet announced earlier this month that Cambodia would file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over four disputed border areas, including the site of the latest clash.