'Cheap shots': Cambodia slams Thailand for ‘blatant ceasefire violations' including border patrols and slingshot attacks
While the Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire was observed over the weekend, resulting in a calm border, Thailand continued to threaten the armistice with a series of provocations, including by lobbing at Cambodia the same unfounded landmine accusation that had triggered the recent five-day deadly armed conflict between the two neighbours.
On Saturday, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that three soldiers from Thailand's 1st Infantry Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, were injured while 'conducting a routine patrol within Thai territory that was recently cleared of landmines' near the Don Aow-Kritsana area, Si Sa Ket province.
This marked the third time Thai border military personnel were wounded by a landmine in less than a month.
The ministry went on to accuse Cambodia of deliberately planting landmines in the area, which is a violation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention), which both Cambodia and Thailand have ratified.
'This incident confirms once again the previous investigation reports of the Royal Thai Army that new landmines are being laid in blatant violation of international law,' the statement read.
'Such actions by the Cambodian side pose a significant obstacle to the implementation of the ceasefire agreed upon by both sides.'
The Thai foreign affairs ministry declared that it was lodging further protests and taking legal action against Cambodia.
'Thailand, therefore, must make repeated calls on Cambodia to immediately cease these gross violations of the Ottawa Convention by the laying of new landmines and urgently cooperate on humanitarian demining efforts along the border of the two countries as bilaterally agreed by both prime ministers,' it said.
'This issue was also proposed by the Thai side at the Extraordinary Session of the General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting between Thailand and Cambodia, held on 7 August 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to which the Cambodian side has unfortunately not responded.'
On Saturday evening, the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) strongly rejected Thailand's accusations that Cambodia had planted new landmines near the border, calling the claims 'unsubstantiated' and urging restraint to maintain the recently agreed ceasefire.
'Cambodia's position is unequivocal: We have not, and will not, plant new landmines,' the CMAA statement said, highlighting Cambodia's internationally recognised track record in mine clearance.
It stressed that over the past three decades, Cambodia has removed more than a million landmines and nearly three million explosive remnants of war, 'saving countless lives and restoring land to communities.'
The statement said no 'official and transparent investigation' has been carried out into the reported incident and called for all sides to avoid 'public statements without verified facts' that could undermine trust.
'Unsubstantiated accusations not only risk undermining the spirit of cooperation established under the ceasefire but also threaten to erode trust at a moment when constructive engagement is most needed,' the CMAA said.
The CMAA added that Cambodia wishes to see Thailand respect the points agreed upon at the extraordinary meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC), particularly point two, which states that both sides must maintain current troop deployments without further movement, including patrols, towards the other side's position.
'We reiterate our readiness to work with Thailand, ASEAN partners, and the international mine action community to uphold peace and promote safety.'
In a press conference yesterday, Cambodia's Foreign Affairs spokesman Chum Sounry also denied the landmine accusation and demanded that Thailand fully respect the agreements reached at the special GBC meeting.
'The Cambodian mine action authorities, who oversee mine clearance and assist landmine victims, had provided a clear explanation and rejected Thailand's unfounded allegations,' he said.
The spokesman said that up to the present time, there has been no credible or transparent investigation related to the incident raised by the Thai side.
'Cambodia calls for patience and avoidance of hasty public accusations that could damage mutual trust and the spirit of the ceasefire,' he said.
'Both sides agree to maintain current troop deployments without further movement as they are at the time the ceasefire is reached at 24:00 hours (local time) on 28 July 2025. There shall be no troop movements, including patrol towards the other side's position,' said point two of the joint minutes signed by General Tea Seiha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Cambodia, and General Nattaphon Nakphanit, Acting Deputy Minister of Defence of Thailand, after the GBC meeting last week.
The article clearly shows that by having its soldiers conduct patrols in the disputed border area, Thailand has violated the ceasefire agreement.
The Thai military has also violated point six of the comprehensive ceasefire framework, which states that captured soldiers shall be immediately released and repatriated after the cessation of active hostilities in accordance with Article 118 of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 and Rule 128 (A) of the Customary International Humanitarian Law.
As of yesterday, Thailand has not released the 18 Cambodian soldiers its armed force captured just eight hours after the ceasefire came into effect on July 28.
'Cambodia has called on Thailand to promptly release the Cambodian soldiers detained after the ceasefire agreement, in accordance with international mechanisms,' said Lieutenant Maly Socheata during a press conference over the weekend. 'Cambodia will never abandon any of its soldiers under any circumstances.'
Yet, Major General Winthai Suwaree, spokesman for the Royal Thai Army, still claimed the detention of the 18 Cambodian soldiers is in full compliance with international law and protected under international legal frameworks, particularly the Geneva Conventions, and is not an 'illegal detention' as alleged by Cambodia's Ministry of National Defence.
According to Thai media, Winthai said the detention must continue until the ceasefire or combat situation is fully and concretely resolved to ensure the soldiers do not return to engage in hostilities against Thai forces – a measure fully aligned with international standards.
In another development, Brigadier General Nak Vong, Commander of the 42th Infantry Brigade, said that Thai soldiers on Saturday used slingshots to shoot marbles and iron pellets into the compound of the Ta Moan Temple complex currently occupied by Cambodian troops.
'They targeted Cambodian troops at night,' he said. 'We counted 100 shots. This is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement. We have already reported this violation to the higher-ups.'
In a social media statement, Hun Sen said the border tensions have shifted from conventional weapon exchanges to the use of slingshots loaded with ball bearings and metal pellets. He warned that such an action could spiral into renewed armed clashes if not addressed immediately.
'In truth, I did not wish to speak about this issue. However, remaining silent may lead the Thai leadership to remain unaware and the international community to misunderstand the situation,' he wrote. 'At first glance, this may seem like a trivial or even humorous matter. But upon deeper examination, it is a serious issue.'
The former Prime Minister said that if left unchecked, the skirmishes could escalate from slingshots to 'the use of all kinds of weapons', effectively nullifying the hard-won ceasefire between the two nations.
Calling for restraint on both sides, Hun Sen urged the government of Cambodia to issue immediate orders to its military to halt the use of such weapons.
'I hope the Thai leadership will issue similar orders to their military to cease the use of weapons,' he added.
In another Facebook post later the same day, he scoffed at the decision of Thailand's Ramkhamhaeng University to revoke his honorary doctorate in political science, saying the award has been meaningless to him for nearly two decades.
Hun Sen said he had only learnt that a Thai university 'whose name I can't even recall' had voted to strip him of the title.
'Let me clarify: there is no need to revoke it. I already discarded that degree in the toilet back in 2008, when Thailand deployed its military to invade Cambodia's Preah Vihear Temple,' he wrote. 'Your degree has no value for me to keep.'
He went on to say he had never taken pride in 'a piece of paper' from the institution.
'Hun Sen's intellect was not born from your institution. Hun Sen's intellect comes from the teachings of the Cambodian people and the schools of Cambodia,' the former prime minister added.
His remarks came after Ramkhamhaeng University issued a statement on Thursday announcing the revocation of the honorary degree, citing what it described as Mr Hun Sen's 'hostile behaviour' towards Thailand and support for armed violence that caused Thai military and civilian casualties.
'Since the behaviour of the honorary doctorate recipient has changed, the honorary declaration should rightfully be revoked,' the university said.
'For these reasons, the Ramkhamhaeng University Council unanimously voted to revoke Hun Sen's honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in Political Science, effective from the date of the resolution, August 8, 2025.'
Hun Sen was awarded the degree in 1991 for what the university described at the time as his role in promoting peace and stability in the region.
Documentation Centre of Cambodia Director Youk Chhang said the 'pettiness' depicted by Thailand is not a characteristic of a mature international power.
'Trivial actions like the use of a slingshot or the revocation of a degree are certainly two distinctly different things that should be addressed differently, but they encompass one common problem, which is the proclivity of a party to an armed conflict to attempt to skirt, muddle or otherwise blur a peace agreement through petty acts that are only meant to aggravate the other party,' he said.
Asian Vision Institute President Chheng Kimlong said Cambodia must put in more effort to collect evidence of the ceasefire violations and provocations in the past to set a strong foundation for international debates and legal battles.
'In addition to the daily update on what is happening at the border, the Ministry of National Defence must also give detailed presentations on these violating and provocative actions by Thailand,' he said. 'Cambodian diplomats and ambassadors must also give the presentations to the international organisations and countries they have been assigned to.'
Kimlong called on the US and China, both of which played key roles in helping Cambodia and Thailand reach a ceasefire, to closely monitor the implementation and take serious measures against the party who violated the agreement.
'If it is discovered that Thailand has seriously violated international laws, the US should revoke crucial alliance treaties with Thailand, including the 1966 Treaty of Amity,' he said. 'Disciplinary actions need to be taken to show that no country can go free for insulting global security and stability.' - Khmer Times
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