About 300 disgruntled Cambodian workers and used-garment merchants last night ended their blockade on the border with Thailand.
The workers had earlier parked their two-wheel carts in front of the Aranyaprathet-Poi Pet border checkpoint on the Poi Pet side of the Thai-Cambodian friendship bridge. They demanded the release of a group of Cambodian workers and vendors who were earlier arrested by customs officials.
The blockade brought traffic on both sides of the border to a halt.
Sa Kaeo checkpoint officials attempted to hold talks with protest representatives, but there were communication problems because the demonstrators could not speak Thai.
Poi Pet governor Meng Jaruan mediated the talks. He said the protesters worked at and supplied used clothing to Rong Klua border market.
They staged the blockade to demand that Thai authorities release Cambodians arrested on Thursday on suspicion of smuggling counterfeit products into Thailand, he said.
A source said the protesters had earlier asked to negotiate with Aranyaprathet customs chief Samphan Jarurattananon over recent moves to toughen the enforcement of regulations on imports from Cambodia. The enforcement is frustrating Cambodian workers hired to transport used clothes to the market because checks take longer and result in longer queues.
But the customs chief refused to negotiate. This angered some protesters who threatened to close the friendship bridge unless Mr Samphan came to speak with them within an hour. The protesters later used their carts to block the bridge.
The group had agreed to unblock one traffic lane after negotiations overseen by Mr Meng and Col Tharapong Malakham, deputy chief-of-staff of the Burapha task force. The protest ended late last night.