Thai Army warns Cambodia of defensive retaliation to end landmine threat

The Thai army may take ‘defensive retaliation’ against Cambodian forces, to end the constant threat to the safety of Thai troops posed by anti-personnel landmines, laid by Cambodian soldiers in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The warning was issued by Army Spokesman Maj-Gen Winthai Suvaree, following a report that a Thai soldier lost a leg when he triggered a landmine while leading para-military rangers on a routine patrol on the Thai side of the border, close to the Ta Muen Thom ancient temple on Tuesday morning.

He said that the latest landmine explosion is clear evidence that Cambodia has violated the ceasefire agreement and is disrespecting international humanitarian law, especially the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use of anti-personnel landmines, adding that this incident is being considered a direct attack on Thai troops on Thai territory.

Moreover, Winthai said that this kind of attack, which has occurred repeatedly along the shared border, indicates Cambodia’s threat to Thai territorial sovereignty and contradicts the ceasefire agreement, reached at the recent General Border Committee meeting in Malaysia.

The army spokesman said that this behaviour by Cambodia definitely poses an obstacle to maintaining the ceasefire and clearly shows Cambodia’s intention to threaten Thailand through the use of covert weaponry “leading us to believe that Cambodia still harbours an intention to harm Thailand, even during the ceasefire.”

This explains why Cambodia rejected Thailand’s proposal, presented at the GBC meeting, seeking cooperation to clear landmines from the common border area, said Wanchai, adding that it is believed that Cambodia has adopted a plan for the systematic use of landmines against Thai forces.

The Thai Army has not been the initiator of violence, he said, as he warned that they may be forced to take defensive action, to protect itself under the international law and to eliminate the threat of repeated loss of life caused by Cambodia’s violations of the ceasefire and Thai sovereignty.