Thai FM urges Japan to act on Cambodia’s landmine breach

In a move to pressure Cambodia over its alleged recent laying of landmines along the shared border, which violates the UN’s Ottawa Convention, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said he has raised the issue, by phone, with his Japanese counterpart, who will chair the convention’s assembly in Geneva this December.

He asked Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to use the mechanisms of the Ottawa Convention to investigate Cambodia’s actions.

“The Secretariat of the Ottawa Convention has already sent a written reply on the matter,” Maris said yesterday.

Five Thai soldiers, patrolling the Thai–Cambodian border, have recently lost limbs to anti-personnel landmines, which Thailand accuses Cambodia of having newly laid, despite the global ban.

Cambodia has, however, repeatedly denied the accusation, claiming the landmines had been planted in the past.

Maris said a discussion with a number of countries that have ratified or acceded to the Ottawa Convention will be held tomorrow, to highlight Cambodia’s breach of the convention.

When the defence ministers of both countries met recently, at a special Thai–Cambodian General Border Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Cambodia declined to discuss the matter when Thailand raised demining operations, Maris said.

He also held phone conversations with the foreign ministers of Malaysia and Singapore, asking them to use ASEAN mechanisms to pressure Cambodia into cooperating on mine clearance.

Meanwhile, Maris said that, during his visit to New York, USA, he had met with the UN Secretary-General and Japan’s Foreign Minister, and had reiterated Thailand’s protests over Cambodia’s “insincere actions.”

This Saturday, Thailand will lead representatives of Ottawa Convention signatory states on a trip to border the provinces of Thailand, to ensure and provide evidence that the landmines are newly laid and are not remnants of times past, as claimed by Cambodia.

Thailand has called for the international community, including those providing assistance to Cambodia in de-mining efforts, to review such assistance, in light of what Thailand believes to be gross and repeated violations of the convention.

As for the Cambodian Foreign Minister’s letters of complaint to the President of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the UN Secretary-General on August 11, accusing Thailand of violating Cambodia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, bilateral agreements and ceasefire terms, Maris confirmed that Cambodia has never provided clear evidence.

In contrast, Thailand has clear information about Cambodia’s provocations and mine-laying activities.