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Bangkok Post
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Cambodia denies involvement in landmine blast injuring Thai soldiers
The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) has firmly denied claims made in Thai media reports alleging that Cambodian forces were responsible for planting landmines that injured three Thai soldiers earlier this week. In a statement released on Friday, the CMAA expressed deep regret over the incident and rejected what it described as 'baseless accusations' that Cambodia had laid new landmines in the Mom Bei area, where the explosion reportedly took place. Several Thai news outlets, including the Bangkok Post, the Nation and Khaosod English, quoted senior Thai officials as saying that three soldiers sustained injuries from landmines on Wednesday at coordinates WA 220 861, as confirmed by the Thai side. The reports alleged that the devices had recently been planted by Cambodian troops, said the CMAA as reported by Khmer Times on Saturday. The CMAA stressed that Cambodia had long suffered from the scourge of landmines and had taken a strong stance against their use. 'Cambodia is a country that has suffered tremendously from landmines and explosive remnants of war. As such, Cambodia strongly condemns and firmly opposes the use, production, and stockpiling of landmines,' the statement read. 'We deeply regret every landmine-related tragedy, regardless of where it occurs or who is affected.' The CMAA underscored Cambodia's longstanding commitment to peace and mine clearance, citing the leadership of former Prime Minister Hun Sen and his successor, Prime Minister Hun Manet. Cambodia is a State Party to the Ottawa Convention, formally known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. According to the CMAA, Cambodia has met its international obligations and is widely recognised for its achievements in mine clearance. The Kingdom hosted the 11th Meeting of the States Parties to the Ottawa Convention and the 5th Review Conference—also known as the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit for a Mine-Free World—in 2024, both of which were considered landmark events. On the incident involving injured Thai soldiers, the CMAA called for any conclusions to be based on clear, verifiable investigations rather than 'speculation or unfounded accusations.' Cambodia remains fully committed to the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding cooperation along the border with Thailand, and to transforming the border into an area of peace, friendship, collaboration and development, according to the statement. The CMAA urged all parties to refrain from making premature or baseless accusations and instead work together to investigate the incident while upholding a spirit of friendship, safety and mutual respect, emphasising that 'the true enemy of all of us is landmines.' On Wednesday, Pvt Thanapat Huiwan stepped on a landmine while his group was patrolling from the Morakot Operations Base to Hill 481 in the Chong Bok area of Nam Yuen district, Ubon Ratchathani province. Chong Bok forms the so-called Emerald Triangle that borders three countries: Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. It was a battlefield between Thai and Vietnamese troops in 1973 when the Vietnamese chased Khmer Rouge soldiers fleeing Cambodia to the Thai border. Thailand and Cambodia held a short exchange of gunfire in the area on May 28 as a simmering border dispute between the two countries boiled over, with tensions remaining high to this day.
Scoop
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk Gravely Alarmed By Steps To Withdraw From Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention
Geneva, 2 July 2025 I am gravely alarmed by the steps taken or being considered by Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine to withdraw from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. The Ottawa Convention, with over 160 State parties, is a crucial tool in responding to the devastating impact of anti-personnel mines on civilians. These weapons kill and maim civilians and combatants indiscriminately and affect people's freedom of movement, access to agricultural land, and right to development, even decades after the end of hostilities. These weapons risk causing persistent and long-term, serious harm to civilians, including children. Like other international humanitarian law treaties, the Ottawa Convention was principally designed to govern the conduct of parties to armed conflicts. Adhering to them in times of peace only to withdraw from them in times of war or for newly invoked national security considerations seriously undermines the framework of international humanitarian law. With so many civilians suffering from the use of anti-personnel mines, I call on all States to refrain from leaving any international humanitarian law treaty, and to immediately suspend any withdrawal process that may be underway. I also call on all States that have not yet ratified or acceded to the Ottawa Convention to do so as soon as possible.
Scoop
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Adhering To Bans On Mines Only In Peace Time Will Not Work: UN Rights Chief
2 July 2025 Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine have taken or are considering steps to withdraw from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction – known also as the Ottawa Convention, after the Canadian city where the process was launched. 'These weapons risk causing persistent and long-term, serious harm to civilians, including children,' Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement. 'Like other international humanitarian law treaties, the Ottawa Convention was principally designed to govern the conduct of parties to armed conflicts.' 'Adhering to them in times of peace only to withdraw from them in times of war or for newly invoked national security considerations seriously undermines the framework of international humanitarian law.' A threat to civilians Anti-personnel mines are one of the two main types of mines and target people – as opposed to anti-vehicle mines. However, because both of these mines are triggered automatically, they result in huge numbers of civilian deaths, especially children. Their deadly risks linger long after hostilities end, contaminating farmland, playgrounds, and homes, and posing a constant threat to unsuspecting civilians. Agreed in 1997, the Ottawa Convention prohibits signatories from using, stockpiling, producing or transferring anti-personnel mines due to the threat that these weapons pose to civilians, especially children. In the two-and-a-half decades since it was passed, the Ottawa Convention has 166 States parties, has led to the a marked reduction in the use of anti-personnel mines. Trends reversing However, in recent years, these positive trends have begun to reverse with the number of civilians killed and injured by mines increasing by 22 per cent in 2024 – 85 per cent of the casualties were civilians and half of them were children. Despite progress, some 100 million people across 60 countries still live under the threat of landmines. In Ukraine, for instance, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) estimates that more than 20 per cent of the country's land is contaminated – amounting to 139,000 square kilometres. Similarly, landmines remain still a significant threat in Cambodia, decades after the end of the conflict and years of de-mining efforts. Uphold international law Mr. Türk urged all parties to the Ottawa Convention to uphold their international legal obligations regarding anti-personnel mines and on non-signatories to join the Convention. 'With so many civilians suffering from the use of anti-personnel mines, I call on all States to refrain from leaving any international humanitarian law treaty, and to immediately suspend any withdrawal process that may be underway.'
AsiaOne
30-06-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Ukraine on track to withdraw from Ottawa anti-personnel mines treaty, Zelenskiy decree shows, World News
KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday (June 29) he had signed a decree to pull Ukraine out of the Ottawa Convention banning the production and use of anti-personnel mines as a necessary step in view of Russian tactics in their 40-month-old war. Ukraine ratified the convention in 2005. Other countries bordering Russia, notably Finland, Poland and the three ex-Soviet Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have either withdrawn from the convention or indicated that they would do so. Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address that Russia had never been a party to the convention "and is using anti-personnel mines with utmost cynicism" along with other weapons, including ballistic missiles. "This is a hallmark of Russian killers. To destroy life by all means at their disposal... We see how our neighbours in Europe react to this threat," he said. "We also know the complexities of the withdrawal procedure when it is conducted during war. We take this political step and give a signal to our political partners on what to focus on. This concerns all countries that border Russia," he said. Anti-personnel mines, Zelenskiy said, are "often the instrument for which nothing can be substituted for defence purposes." Russia has used anti-personnel mines extensively in parts of Ukraine where its forces have been operating. Ukraine sees the clearing of such mines as a key element in post-war recovery. The decree appearing on the president's website calls for support for a Ukrainian foreign ministry proposal to "withdraw Ukraine from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction of Sept 18, 1997." A senior Ukrainian lawmaker, Roman Kostenko, said that parliamentary approval was still needed to withdraw from the treaty. "This is a step that the reality of war has long demanded. Russia is not a party to this Convention and is massively using mines against our military and civilians," Kostenko, secretary of the Ukrainian parliament's committee on national security, defence and intelligence, said on his Facebook page. "We cannot remain tied down in an environment where the enemy has no restrictions," he added, saying that the legislative decision must definitively restore Ukraine's right to effectively defend its territory. Russia has intensified its offensive operations in Ukraine in recent months, using significant superiority in manpower. Kostenko did not say when the issue would be debated in parliament. [[nid:719619]]
GMA Network
29-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Zelenskiy signs decree to withdraw Ukraine from anti-landmine treaty
KYIV — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has signed a decree on the country's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the production and use of anti-personnel mines, the presidential website said on Sunday. Ukraine ratified the convention in 2005. "Support the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to withdraw Ukraine from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction of September 18, 1997," the decree, published on Zelenskiy's website, stated. A senior Ukrainian lawmaker, Roman Kostenko, said that parliamentary approval is still needed to withdraw from the treaty. "This is a step that the reality of war has long demanded. Russia is not a party to this Convention and is massively using mines against our military and civilians," Kostenko, secretary of the Ukrainian parliament's committee on national security, defense and intelligence, said on his Facebook page. "We cannot remain tied down in an environment where the enemy has no restrictions," he added, saying that the legislative decision must definitively restore Ukraine's right to effectively defend its territory. Russia has intensified its offensive operations in Ukraine in recent months, using significant superiority in manpower. Kostenko did not say when the issue would be debated in parliament. — Reuters
