- Photo: The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (Aug 12) issued a four-point statement protesting Cambodia’s use of anti-personnel mines. It urged the international community to review mine clearance aid to Phnom Penh.
The statement reads:
1. On 12 August 2025, in the Chong Chub Ta Mok area in Surin Province, seven soldiers from Thailand’s 2610th Paramilitary Company were conducting a routine patrol, but then came upon and stepped on yet another landmine. The Royal Thai Government condemns in the strongest terms the use of anti-personnel mines. Such action is yet another repetition of Cambodia’s insincere conduct, and an outright breach of international law, including the principles that are fundamental to the United Nations Charter, as well as a clear violation of the obligations under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention) and international humanitarian law.
2. This incident, when taken together with the previous landmine incident on 9 August 2025, reflects Cambodia’s lack of good faith and contravenes the ceasefire agreement finalised by both sides at the Thailand–Cambodia Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting, held on 7 August 2025 in Kuala Lumpur. Thailand therefore must again call on Cambodia to immediately cease these gross violations of the Ottawa Convention.
- Photo: The Nation/ANN
3. Thailand is lodging further protests with Cambodia, the President of the Ottawa Convention and the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Thailand is also calling upon the international community, including donor countries and international organisations who provide assistance to Cambodia in mine clearance and mine action efforts, to reconsider their support in light of these repetitive incidents. Thailand will also consider taking other measures of protest as deemed appropriate.
4. Thailand reaffirms its commitment to fully implement the Ottawa Convention and expresses its deep disappointment that Cambodia - having experienced the horrors of genocide and having previously committed itself to mine clearance in compliance with the Convention - has reverted to the inhumane use of such weapons against fellow human beings. Thailand calls on the ASEAN community, a rules-based organisation, to urge Cambodia to strictly abide by international law. Furthermore, Thailand requests that the Interim Observer Team, established pursuant to the decision of the aforementioned GBC Meeting, give due consideration to this matter during its future field visits. This is crucial to ensuring the safety of the border area for innocent civilians of both countries. - The Nation/ANN
