Thai Army denies use of white phosphorus munitions against Cambodian civilians

The Thai Army stated today that white phosphorus munitions are not chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention and that there are no international treaties banning the storage and use of such munitions.

Maj-Gen Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the Thai Army, made this clarification in response to an accusation by Heng Rattana, head of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), that the 155mm artillery shells, fired by Thai forces into areas in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province during the armed conflict between the two countries late last month, contained white phosphorus.

Winthai dismissed Rattana’s claim as a distortion of fact, unsubstantiated and lacking legal grounds, adding that white phosphorus munitions are intended to cause smoke, illumination and incendiary effects and that they are not classified as chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

He admitted, however, that the Thai Army possesses white phosphorus munitions, which will be used for military purposes in strict compliance with international law.

He stressed that the Thai Army has strict regulations, requiring the use of such munitions on military targets only and has never used such munitions against civilians.

He said that the Cambodian accusation is intended to cause public misunderstanding and to discredit the Thai Army.