Thailand reaffirms treaty pledge, urges Cambodia to stop using mines
The ministry will lead a delegation of diplomats and media to Si Sa Ket on Saturday (Aug 16) to gather evidence for presentation on the international stage.
This follows recent incidents along the Thai-Cambodian border in which Thai soldiers were injured and permanently disabled after stepping on anti-personnel mines several times in less than a month.
The ministry stated that the mines in question were newly planted PMN-2 devices, not remnants from past conflicts as claimed by Cambodia. It said the deployment constituted a violation of the Ottawa Convention — to which both countries are signatories — as well as a breach of the ceasefire agreement and international humanitarian law.
Nikorndej Balankura (pic), Director-General of the Department of Information and ministry spokesperson, said today's briefing for diplomats from 41 countries and four international organisations aimed to ensure the global community understood the situation accurately, transparently and clearly.
He stressed that Thailand no longer possesses anti-personnel mines and has lodged protests with Cambodia through all channels, including notifying the UN Secretary-General, the President of the UN Security Council, and initiating action under the Ottawa Convention.
'Thailand continues to call on Cambodia to halt the use of anti-personnel mines, demonstrate a genuine commitment to restoring peace, and cooperate in mine clearance along the border,' he said.
'Cambodia has so far refused to discuss mine clearance or tackle online scams, despite Thailand raising the issue at the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) meeting.'
Nikorndej confirmed that the matter will be raised in upcoming meetings of the Regional Border Committee (RBC) and GBC, as it directly affects the safety and quality of life of people on both sides of the border.
He added that on Saturday (Aug 16) the ministry, in cooperation with relevant agencies, will take diplomats from Asean member states, Ottawa Convention parties, civil society organisations involved in demining, and Thai and foreign media to Si Sa Ket province to observe and collect evidence of the impact of Cambodia's mine use.
The findings will be used to press the matter further at the international level.
The ministry reiterated that Thailand will continue exerting pressure through all diplomatic and multilateral channels to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, upholding international law and humanitarian principles to ensure the safety of border communities and peace in the region. - The Nation/ANN
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