Thailand urges international review of support for Cambodia’s mine clearance operations

Thailand has called on foreign governments and international NGOs actively involved in mine clearance to review their financial support for Cambodia’s demining efforts, claiming that Cambodia is not being sincere and has, instead, recently laid anti-personnel landmines along Thai-Cambodian border, which pose a threat to Thai soldiers and civilians in those areas.

The Thai Foreign Ministry gave a briefing to foreign envoys and representatives of the signatories to the Ottawa Convention based in Thailand today, about the landmine situation. They also presented evidence that Cambodia has used PMN-2 anti-personnel landmines, in violation of the Ottawa Convention.

The Foreign Ministry made six main points during its briefing:

1. Thailand upholds international law and is ready to implement its international obligations, particularly those under the Ottawa Convention related to mine clearance. Thailand has, so far, cleared 99.5% of an area covering 2,500 square kilometres and has helped mine victims to pursue their lives with dignity.

2. Thailand has protested against Cambodia, through various channels, including the United Nations and the UN Security Council. It has also condemned Cambodia for the use of anti-personnel landmines, in violation of the Ottawa Convention, the UN Charter, international humanitarian law and the ceasefire agreement.

3. Thai soldiers have sustained injuries from landmines on five occasions in just four weeks, with five of them being maimed and disabled. Thailand has clear evidence that the PMN-2 anti-personnel landmines were recently laid by Cambodian forces and were not leftover from the wars in Cambodia, as they claim.

4. Cambodia has rejected Thailand’s proposal for cooperation in clearing the landmines along the shared border and in cracking down on scam activities in Cambodia. This reflects Cambodia’s dishonesty and insincerity, they claimed.

5. Thailand hopes the mine clearance issue will be discussed at the RBC and GBC meetings.

6. The Thai Foreign Ministry will host an inspection tour for foreign envoys, representatives of Ottawa Convention signatories, NGOs, Thai and foreign media of Si Sa Ket province on Saturday, to observe the damage caused by Cambodian landmines, for use as evidence in their review of financial support granted to Cambodia for mine clearance.