Cambodian rockets, mines keep Thai border areas, communities unsafe: army
The Royal Thai Army said that as of Saturday soldiers had found 824 rocket craters in areas near the Thai-Cambodian border – most of them in communities and hospitals.
Explosive ordnance disposal personnel were working urgently to clear shells at the craters so that Thai evacuees could return home as safely as possible, the RTA said.
Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, commander of the Second Army Region, said on Sunday that the rockets that had been fired from Cambodia and did not explode posed threats to people. He advised people who spotted shell craters to report their findings to government officials immediately and stay away from such locations.
Meanwhile, soldiers were also facing threats from many landmines that Cambodian forces had laid in Thai territory before retreating, he said. The regional army commander ordered soldiers to use excavators and tractors to help clear landmines for their own safety.
A soldier lost his leg and two colleagues were also injured when an anti-personnel landmine exploded near the Don Aow-Kritsana area in Thailand's Si Sa Ket province on Saturday.
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sharply condemned Cambodia over repeated injuries to Thai soldiers caused by Cambodian landmines.
In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said the latest explosion was the third such incident involving Thai forces in less than a month.
'The Royal Thai Government condemns in the strongest terms the use of anti-personnel mines. Such actions are a clear violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity, breaching fundamental principles of international law, international humanitarian law, and the United Nations Charter,' the statement read. 'They also constitute a clear breach of obligations under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention). Thailand is lodging another formal protest and, as a State Party, will take action in accordance with the Convention.'
The ministry said the laying of new mines undermines the ceasefire agreed by both countries and urged Cambodia to stop these 'gross violations' immediately. It also called for urgent cooperation on humanitarian demining along the border, as agreed by the two prime ministers.
According to the ministry, Thailand raised the issue at the Extraordinary Session of the General Border Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 7, but Cambodia has yet to respond.
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8 hours ago
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Cambodian rockets, mines keep Thai border areas, communities unsafe: army
The presence of numerous Cambodian rockets and landmines means that Thai border communities and frontiers are still unsafe for civilians and military personnel, according to the Royal Thai Army. The Royal Thai Army said that as of Saturday soldiers had found 824 rocket craters in areas near the Thai-Cambodian border – most of them in communities and hospitals. Explosive ordnance disposal personnel were working urgently to clear shells at the craters so that Thai evacuees could return home as safely as possible, the RTA said. Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang, commander of the Second Army Region, said on Sunday that the rockets that had been fired from Cambodia and did not explode posed threats to people. He advised people who spotted shell craters to report their findings to government officials immediately and stay away from such locations. Meanwhile, soldiers were also facing threats from many landmines that Cambodian forces had laid in Thai territory before retreating, he said. The regional army commander ordered soldiers to use excavators and tractors to help clear landmines for their own safety. A soldier lost his leg and two colleagues were also injured when an anti-personnel landmine exploded near the Don Aow-Kritsana area in Thailand's Si Sa Ket province on Saturday. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sharply condemned Cambodia over repeated injuries to Thai soldiers caused by Cambodian landmines. In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said the latest explosion was the third such incident involving Thai forces in less than a month. 'The Royal Thai Government condemns in the strongest terms the use of anti-personnel mines. Such actions are a clear violation of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity, breaching fundamental principles of international law, international humanitarian law, and the United Nations Charter,' the statement read. 'They also constitute a clear breach of obligations under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention). Thailand is lodging another formal protest and, as a State Party, will take action in accordance with the Convention.' The ministry said the laying of new mines undermines the ceasefire agreed by both countries and urged Cambodia to stop these 'gross violations' immediately. It also called for urgent cooperation on humanitarian demining along the border, as agreed by the two prime ministers. According to the ministry, Thailand raised the issue at the Extraordinary Session of the General Border Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 7, but Cambodia has yet to respond.
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