On 25 October 2009, Sam Rainsy, President of the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) of Cambodia, came to the border area between Long An Province (Viet Nam) and Svay Rieng Province (Cambodia) where border demarcation and marker construction are underway, uprooted 6 poles that identify the position of Marker 185 and took them away to Phnom Penh. Sam Rainsy also made slanderous statements that Viet Nam “uses demarcation and marker construction to seize Cambodia’s land”. On 30 October 2009, in response to correspondents’ question about Viet Nam’s reaction to Sam Rainsy’s actions and statements, Viet Nam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ms. Nguyen Phuong Nga said:

"Viet Nam and Cambodia are actively engaged in border demarcation and marker construction. It is the responsibility that the two governments and peoples share in protecting these border markers and identification poles, in line with bilateral agreements and international laws.

By uprooting the identification poles of Marker 185 on Vietnamese - Cambodian border, Sam Rainsy committed a perverse act of damaging common property, violating laws of Cambodia and Viet Nam, bilateral treaties and agreements, hindering and sabotaging the demarcation process. Sam Rainsy's slanders against Viet Nam are ignorant and irresponsible, aimed at provoking hatred and undermining the relations between Viet Nam and Cambodia.

The Government of Viet Nam strongly condemns Mr. Sam Rainsy's actions and statements and asks the Government of Cambodia to take appropriate action against such sabotage acts, ensuring border demarcation and marker planting between Viet Nam and Cambodia to be undertaken smoothly for the mutual benefit of the both peoples."

Source: Press and Information Department - MOFA