Dig deep in mine case
The incident that took place on Wednesday afternoon near Hill 481 in the Chong Bok area of Nam Yuen district saw Private Thanapat Huiwan lose his foot.
Two other soldiers suffered chest pain. All three are now in safe condition.
The incident poses a risk to fragile bilateral ties with Cambodia, which may consequently go from bad to worse.
It is worrying that some political groups have jumped to the conclusion that the neighbouring country was responsible, given the proximity to the border.
Activists cite the type of landmine, a Russian-made PMN-2 that is known as a cheap and very difficult to detect, to support their claim. However, it's far too soon to be pointing fingers.
Phnom Penh immediately distanced itself from the incident. Heng Ratana, chief of the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), said, "If the incident was within Thailand's territorial jurisdiction or control, then Thailand would know best about it."
Meanwhile, Deputy Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit, who visited the injured soldiers in Ubon Ratchathani province yesterday, dismissed earlier reports which quoted military sources suggesting the mine was newly planted, not a war remnant.
The minister asked for more time to investigate and verify. This stance is more than welcome.
More importantly, the government must do its best in preventing any elements from politicising the incident, which will likely see the two sides trade blame.
A similar landmine incident in 2008 at Phu Makheua, when tensions peaked, followed by open armed conflict, caused losses on both sides.
Let's hope those involved learn their lesson from this chapter of history and see peace as the first option.
It should be noted that Thailand's demining mission has been a great success. Most of the border areas are now mine-free.
Mine-infested areas have been reduced to around 20 square kilometres across the country.
It's unfortunate that border disputes with Cambodia pose an obstacle to the mine-free goal.
In 2022, the Prayut Chan-o-cha government made a goodwill gesture, proposing that demining activity should be carried out regardless of overlapping borders to ensure safety for those living along the border.
While Cambodia agreed in principle, it has barely made any contributions to this proposal that would see it translate into concrete action with positive results.
In 2024, Cambodia threw cold water on another proposal that aimed to set up 10 pilot areas for de-mining without concerns regarding the border tensions.
It's a missed opportunity for the two countries, which are signatories to the Ottawa Convention prohibiting the use of anti-personnel landmines.
Thailand must prove, and present solid evidence, that it adheres strictly to the treaty.
Back to Gen Nattaphon's investigation plan, the government must ensure transparency and straightforwardness, and that there is no foul play.
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