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TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Landmine dispute escalates tensions between Thailand and Cambodia
The country is littered with landmines laid during decades of war. 'The Royal Government of Cambodia categorically denies the baseless and unfounded allegations,' the ministry said. It added the country was fully committed to the Ottawa Convention, an international agreement banning anti-personnel landmines. On Monday, the Thai army said 10 freshly laid Russian-made PMN-2 type landmines, which are not used or stockpiled by Thailand, were found between July 18 and 20 in areas near where the soldiers were injured. 'This is a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Thailand and an outright breach of principles that are fundamental to international law,' Maratee Nalita Andamo, deputy spokesperson for the Thai foreign ministry, said on Monday in Bangkok. Figures from the Cambodia Mine Action Centre, which estimates there are four to six million landmines scattered across the country, show five people were killed and a dozen injured by mines and unexploded ordnance in Cambodia in the first four months of 2025. The area where the Thai soldiers were injured is near where a Cambodian soldier was killed in May after a brief exchange of gunfire between troops on the two sides. The shooting has since flared into a broader diplomatic dispute between the Southeast Asian neighbours that has destabilised the Thai government and seen the prime minister suspended from office. Thailand said it will issue a formal condemnation and call for accountability from Cambodia for breaching the landmine treaty, and the army will increase vigilance during border patrols. Cambodia said the landmine incident showed the need for the two countries to settle the border dispute at the International Court of Justice. Bangkok has previously said it has never recognised the court's jurisdiction on the issue and prefers to settle the dispute through bilateral mechanisms.
AsiaOne
2 days ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Landmine dispute escalates tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, Asia News
BANGKOK — Thailand has accused Cambodia of placing landmines in a disputed border area after three soldiers were injured, but Phnom Penh denied the claim and said the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and triggered a mine left behind from decades of war. Thai authorities said the three soldiers were injured, with one losing a foot, by a landmine while on a patrol on Wednesday (July 16) on the Thai side of the disputed border area between Ubon Ratchathani and Cambodia's Preah Vihear province. Cambodia's foreign ministry denied that new mines had been planted, and said in a statement on Monday night that the Thai soldiers deviated from agreed patrol routes into Cambodian territory and into areas that contain unexploded landmines. The country is littered with landmines laid during decades of war. "The Royal Government of Cambodia categorically denies these baseless and unfounded allegations," the ministry said. It added the country was fully committed to the Ottawa Convention, an international agreement banning antipersonnel landmines. On Monday, the Thai army said that 10 freshly laid Russian-made PMN-2 type landmines, which are not used or stockpiled by Thailand, were found between July 18 and July 20 in areas near where the soldiers were injured. "This is a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Thailand and an outright breach of principles that are fundamental to international law," Maratee Nalita Andamo, deputy spokesperson for the Thai Foreign Ministry, said on Monday in Bangkok. Figures from the Cambodia Mine Action Centre, which estimates there are still four to six million landmines scattered across the country, show five people were killed and a dozen injured by mines and unexploded ordnance in Cambodia in the first four months of 2025. The area where the Thai soldiers were injured is near where a Cambodian soldier was killed in May after a brief exchange of gunfire between troops on both sides. The shooting has since flared into a broader diplomatic dispute between the Southeast Asian neighbours that has destabilised the Thai government and seen the Prime Minister suspended from office. Thailand said it will issue a formal condemnation and call for accountability from Cambodia for breaching the landmine treaty, and the army will also increase vigilance during border patrols. Cambodia said the landmine incident showed the need for both countries to settle the border dispute at the International Court of Justice. Bangkok has previously said it has never recognised the court's jurisdiction on the issue and prefers to settle the dispute through bilateral mechanisms. [[nid:720084]]
Bangkok Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Cambodia 'laying mines'
The government will submit a formal written protest to the President of the Ottawa Convention following a recent landmine explosion near the Thai-Cambodian border that left three Thai soldiers severely injured. The incident, involving newly planted anti-personnel mines, has been condemned as a violation of international law and Thai sovereignty. The army found two more new anti-personnel mines on Thai soil near the border with Cambodia on Sunday, where three Thai soldiers were injured by an exploding landmine last week. Army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said on Monday that a patrol from the Suranaree Task Force found the two landmines near Chong Bok in Nam Yuen district of Ubon Ratchathani. One of the mines was only about 30 centimetres from the spot where three soldiers were injured by the explosion of a Russian-made PMN-2 anti-personnel mine on Wednesday, the spokesman said. One of the soldiers lost a foot. The mines were safely defused and removed, he said. Maj Gen Winthai said the army also urged Asean and the international community to condemn Cambodia over the matter. Rear Admiral Surasans Kongsi, Defence Ministry spokesman, and Maratee Nalita Andamo, deputy spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, jointly addressed the press following a Thai-Cambodian Border Situation Command Centre (TCBC) meeting at Government House. Rear Adm Surasans confirmed that PMN-2 mines were not part of Thailand's arsenal, and signs of recent digging suggest the discovered mines were placed after the May 28 border clash, he said. Thai authorities have concluded that the placement was deliberate, intended to kill personnel and in clear violation of the Ottawa Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention that Cambodia and Thailand both signed in 1997 and ratified in 1998. In response, the Thai military has heightened its security protocols, issuing new directives to local patrol units and enhancing readiness, he said. The Defence Ministry will also brief military attachés and representatives from foreign armed forces to present the facts. Ms Maratee said that the Foreign Affairs Ministry will formally protest to the Cambodian government in writing and report the incident to the President of the Meeting of States Parties to the Ottawa Convention -- currently held by Japan -- to seek accountability under the treaty framework. Furthermore, Thailand will provide briefings to key international partners and relevant organisations, especially countries with a stake in Cambodian demining efforts, such as Japan and Norway. These briefings will aim to raise awareness of the breach and reaffirm Thailand's position. She said the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Sunday accused and condemned Cambodia for the use of anti-personnel mines in contravention of the Ottawa Convention banning their use. "The Royal Thai Government condemns in the strongest terms the use of anti-personnel mines," the ministry statement said. Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, acting as prime minister, said inspections have clearly confirmed that the landmines were newly manufactured and recently planted; therefore, Thailand views this as a violation of United Nations agreements. "If further evidence is identified, it may even lead to the recall of the [Thai] chargé d'affaires [in Cambodia]. This will depend on the conditions and the evolving situation," he said. Cambodia has denied laying new mines that injured the three soldiers. However, the ministry said it had clear evidence. Thailand had never used the type of landmine that was found. "Assessments and related evidence discovered by the responsible security agencies point to the conclusion that the laying of these mines was a blatant violation of international law," it said. Regarding the sensitive situation at the Ta Muen Thom Temple in Surin, a popular tourist site near the Thai-Cambodian border, the national police chief will implement immediate measures aimed at preventing escalation. "In the event of an incident, calling in the police would normally take too long," Mr Phumtham explained. "Therefore, we are pre-positioning crowd control units to respond to Cambodian civilians in accordance with international norms."
Bangkok Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Thai govt targets Cambodia's landmine claims
The government is expected on Monday to finalise retaliatory responses to a recent landmine explosion in the Chong Bok border area of Ubon Ratchathani, near Cambodia, which left three Thai soldiers injured. Members of the government's ad hoc centre for the Thailand-Cambodia border, which includes officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various national security agencies, will meet at the National Security Council office today to formalise an official response, said R Admiral Surasan Kongsiri, its spokesman, on Sunday. The centre on Sunday held a closed-door meeting to discuss an initial course of action based on findings from the Second Army Region, which confirmed the explosion came from a newly planted landmine, he said. The landmines issue was yesterday subject to a heated back and forth between the Cambodia Mine Action Centre and the Thai army. Heng Ratana, director-general of the Cambodia Mine Action Centre, in an article by the Phnom Penh Post, dismissed speculation the mine had been planted by Cambodia. In the article, he referred to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention), which was ratified by Cambodia. "As for possible newly laid mines in Thailand, there have been a number of social media claims that the Thai military placed them," he said, as quoted by the newspaper. "There appears to be no proof that Thai authorities or demining NGOs have attempted to conduct a thorough investigation," he added. In response, Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the Royal Thai Army (RTA), rejected the remarks by Heng Ratana, describing the claims as false, misleading and damaging to bilateral relations. Mr Heng Ratana also claimed to have photo and video evidence suggesting Thai troops had laid new landmines near the border, Maj Gen Winthai said. The landmines discovered near the Chong Bok border area and other locations were identified as PMN-2 anti-personnel mines manufactured in Russia, which the Thai army has never possessed, procured nor used in any military operations, especially in border areas, he said. The images and video clips, which were published by Cambodia's Fresh News outlet, he said, actually originated from training or clearance operations conducted by Thailand's Humanitarian Mine Action Center, not from active mine deployment. "The presentation of such information constitutes a distortion of facts and causes serious damage to Thailand," said Maj Gen Winthai. Mr Heng Ratana's claim the landmines were found on Thai territory, which therefore placed responsibility on Thailand under Article 5 of the 1997 Ottawa Convention -- which says a sovereign state is responsible for mine clearance within its territory -- only reinforces the fact that the mines were located within Thailand's sovereign domain, said the RTA spokesman. This, in turn, suggests an act of cross-border intrusion, with landmines being secretly planted on Thai soil, said Maj Gen Winthai, who also pointed out inconsistencies in Cambodia's own official statements. Lt Gen Malis Sophat, spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense, said a Thai soldier had stepped on a landmine inside Cambodian territory, which directly contradicts Mr Heng Ratana's assertion the mines were found within Thailand and were therefore the responsibility of Thai forces, according to Maj Gen Winthai. "The conflicting statements made by Cambodian officials reflect inconsistencies in their narrative and suggest a failed attempt to distort the facts, ultimately forcing them to backtrack on their own claims," said Maj Gen Winthai. He said Thailand strictly adheres to international humanitarian law and called on Cambodia to immediately cease spreading disinformation. "This could strain diplomatic relations and mislead the international community," he warned. In another development, members of the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand, the Dharma Army and the People's Centre for the Protection of the Monarchy, yesterday marched from their rally site at Chamai Maruchet Bridge to the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok, protesting against Wednesday's landmine incident. At the embassy, protesters delivered speeches from a loudspeaker truck, waved Thai national flags and condemned Cambodia over what they believed to be the planting of new landmines. The government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the military, is currently considering filing a formal complaint with the United Nations over Cambodia's alleged violation of the Ottawa Convention, said Danuporn Punnakanta, spokesman for the ruling Pheu Thai Party. This step is part of the ongoing process, with Thai authorities affirming that the landmines were newly planted by the other party, said the party spokesman. He added, however, that the government remains committed to resolving the border conflict through peaceful means in pursuit of lasting peace.
Bangkok Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Two more landmines found along border disputed by Cambodia
The army has found two more, new anti-personnel mines on Thai soil near the border with Cambodia where three Thai soldiers were injured by an exploding landmine last week. Army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said on Monday that a patrol from the Suranaree Task Force found the two landmines near Chong Bok in Nam Yuen district of Ubon Ratchathani province on Sunday. One of the mines was only about 30 centimetres from the spot where three soldiers were injured by the explosion of a Russian-made PMN-2 anti-personnel mine on Wednesday, the spokesman said. One of the soldiers lost his foot. The newly discovered mines were safely defused and removed, he said. The army has not said exactly how many newly sown anti-personnel mines have been found. It could be around a dozen given the statement last week by 2nd Army chief Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang that eight had been found, before the latest discoveries on Sunday. The Foreign Ministry on Sunday accused and condemned Cambodia for the use of anti-personnel mines in contravention of the Ottawa Convention banning their use. Cambodia and Thailand both signed it in 1997 and ratified and deposited it in 1998. 'The Royal Thai Government condemns in the strongest terms the use of anti-personnel mines,' the ministry statement said. Cambodia has denied laying new mines that injured the three soldiers. However, the ministry said it had clear evidence. Thailand had never used the type of landmine being found. "Assessments and related evidence discovered by the responsible security agencies point to the conclusion that the laying of these mines was a blatant violation of international law," it said. Maj Gen Winthai said the army will meet the defence attaches of other countries on Tuesday and brief them on the latest finds. The spokesman also callled on the members of Asean and the international community to condemn Cambodia on the issue.
