Cambodia claims the incident of Thai soldiers stepping on landmines occurred within Cambodia!
The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Agency issued a statement saying that Thai soldiers violated regulations by entering Thai territory and mistakenly entered a minefield, which is not a newly buried minefield as claimed by Thailand.
Technical verification by the Cambodian Mine Action Center confirmed that the incident occurred within Cambodia, specifically in the minefield numbered BS/CMAA/16808 located in Techo Morokot village, Morokot commune, Choam Ksan district. This minefield has official records and remains unremoved, being part of the known landmine fields left over from past conflicts in Cambodia.
Forensic assessment of the injury pattern indicates that the explosion may have been caused by an older low-yield mine, such as 72A, 72B, M14, MN79, or MD82B mines, each typically containing about 30 grams of explosive material.
Cambodia emphasized the following key facts:
1. There are no newly buried mines. The affected area is part of a long-standing minefield, posing a continuous security threat to border communities.
2. The explosion occurred in an officially recorded hazardous area. The explosion site is entirely within Cambodia and remains uncleaned.
3. Cambodia has an internationally recognized record of demining operations. Since 1992, Cambodia has cleared over 1.1 million landmines and nearly 3 million pieces of explosive remnants of war. The country continues to play a leading role in global demining efforts, including hosting the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on the Convention on Conventional Weapons in 2024.
Cambodia believes that the claim of deploying new mines lacks on-the-ground evidence and could potentially undermine the collaborative spirit essential for joint demining operations in the border region.
Cambodia emphasized that some Thai leaders are manipulating border tensions to divert attention from internal political issues in Thailand.
"We are exhausted by the danger of landmines and have spent over 30 years clearing them. Cambodia remains committed to peace and urges Thailand to engage in dialogue regarding border issues and joint demining operations."
"According to historical records, the Thai military and certain Thai politicians have repeatedly provoked disputes with neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar."
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838484667710528/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.