Thailand accuses Cambodia of planting landmines after soldier injured
A Thai soldier was seriously injured Tuesday after stepping on a landmine near the Cambodian border, just days after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire following deadly clashes last month.
The soldier’s left ankle was severely damaged during a patrol about 1 km (0.6 miles) from the Ta Moan Thom Temple in Thailand’s Surin province. He is currently receiving medical treatment in hospital, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
Thai army spokesperson Major General Winthai Suvaree accused Cambodia of breaching the ceasefire and violating international law, including the Ottawa Convention banning landmines. “Cambodia continues to covertly plant landmines while the Thai army has consistently adhered to peaceful approaches and has not been the initiating party,” he said.
The statement warned that continued violations could prompt Thailand to “exercise the right of self-defense under international law” in response to ongoing losses and territorial incursions by Cambodian forces.
Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence rejected the accusations, affirming the country’s commitment to the Ottawa Convention and denying any new landmine deployments. “Cambodia has never used, produced, or deployed new landmines under any circumstances and strictly honours its international obligations,” the ministry said on social media.
This incident marks the fourth recent landmine-related injury involving Thai soldiers along the disputed 817 km (508-mile) border between the two Southeast Asian neighbours. On Saturday, three soldiers were injured in a blast near Sisaket province (Thailand) and Preah Vihear province (Cambodia).
Previous clashes on July 16 and 23 escalated into five days of heavy fighting starting July 24, the worst between Thailand and Cambodia in over a decade. The conflict resulted in at least 43 deaths and displaced more than 300,000 people.
The border dispute centers around ownership of the Ta Moan Thom and the 11th-century Preah Vihear temples. The fragile ceasefire has been maintained since last week when both governments agreed to allow ASEAN observers to monitor contested areas and help prevent further violence.
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