BANGKOK: Thai navy troops uncovered 16 modified anti-personnel landmines at a Cambodian military base in Ban Sam Lang, Trat, highlighting Cambodia's violation of the Ottawa Convention.
The Royal Thai Navy announced on Thursday (Dec 18) that its troops had uncovered a cache of 16 anti-tank landmines, which had been modified into anti-personnel mines, at a Cambodian military base in the Ban Sam Lang area in Trat.
Lt JG Napaskorn Tipso, assistant spokeswoman for the RTN, said that after the navy troops seized and secured the Ban Sam Lang area in Ban Nong Ree village, Tambon Chamrak, in Trat’s Mueang district, they searched the Cambodian base and found 16 modified landmines ready for deployment.
Napaskorn added that the troops also found some mines planted around the Cambodian base, but she did not disclose the exact number of mines found.
She stated that the discovery of the mines was strong evidence that Cambodia had blatantly violated the Ottawa Convention on landmine prohibition.
The Thai military said that Ban Sam Lang is within Thai territory, but Cambodian troops have intruded and occupied it for over 40 years. The Thai military also stated that Cambodia had used the Ban Sam Lang area as a key strategic base, digging bunkers and trenches and setting up an artillery base to fire at Thai troops and villages.
The Thai navy troops managed to overrun and secure the Ban Sam Lang area and raised the national flag on Wednesday afternoon. - The Nation/ANN
