Tensions over landmines mount

Bangkok Post

a day ago

Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa has accused Cambodia of persistently violating the Ottawa Convention and Thailand's sovereignty through repeated incidents involving anti-personnel landmines.
Mr Maris, attending the 10th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Anning, China, delivered a video briefing on Cambodia's recent anti-personnel landmine incidents. The session held at the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Friday addressed member states of the Ottawa Convention. A total of 67 participants from 41 countries, one organisation, and four international agencies participated.
Mr Maris reaffirmed Thailand's full commitment to its legal obligations under the convention. Over the past two decades, Thailand has cleared and returned more than 99% of areas contaminated by anti-personnel landmines -- equivalent to approximately 2,500 square kilometres -- back to Thai communities.
He also highlighted Thailand's continued efforts to assist landmine survivors, enabling them to live with dignity and reintegrate into society. These efforts are part of the broader international community's progress in addressing the humanitarian impact of landmines.
In this context, the recent landmine incidents along the Thai-Cambodian border have caused grave concern, he said.
The minister stressed that there should be no justification or place for the use of such weapons in the region or anywhere in the world.
Mr Maris further said that on Aug 7, during the extraordinary session of the General Border Committee (GBC) held in Kuala Lumpur, both sides had reached an agreement on a ceasefire. Thailand has fully adhered to this agreement.
However, "within just five days following the meeting, two additional incidents occurred in which Thai soldiers stepped on landmines. Clear and credible evidence confirms that these landmines had been newly laid by Cambodian forces", he said.
"The repeated landmine incidents clearly demonstrate Cambodia's continued deliberate violations of Thailand's sovereignty and territorial integrity. These actions are serious breaches of international law and of the recently agreed ceasefire."
Moreover, Cambodia has wilfully contravened its core obligations under the Ottawa Convention, he said.
As such, Thailand strongly condemns these actions in the strongest possible terms, asserting that they undermine both the integrity of the convention and the spirit of the Siem Reap-Angkor Declaration, which was endorsed under Cambodia's chairmanship in November 2024.
Mr Maris further said that Cambodia's actions also constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law principles, which he firmly believes are upheld by the diplomatic community of states present at the briefing.
He noted that these concerns are not only of direct importance to Thailand, but also to the broader international community, particularly to donor countries that have supported Cambodia in good faith. He therefore called upon the international community to take all necessary measures to ensure that Cambodia ceases its inhumane use of anti-personnel landmines and fully complies with its legal obligations under the convention and international humanitarian law.
Thailand has formally raised this matter with the UN Secretary-General and requested an explanation from Cambodia under Article 8, paragraph 2 of the convention.
Meanwhile, Maj Gen Winthai Suwaree, spokesman of the Royal Thai Army, said that Cambodia has repeatedly denied and distorted landmine attacks against Thai forces, which have injured personnel in five incidents, including two after the ceasefire.
Cambodia claims mines are leftover from past wars, but the Thailand Mine Action Centre has cleared 1,300 old explosives, none of which were the PMN-2 type recently found.