Thai page affiliated with the military alleges Cambodia of mismanaging mine clearing funds and violating the Ottawa Treaty regulations.
In a recent development, the Royal Thai Army has accused Cambodia of continuing to use landmines along their shared border, despite receiving substantial international funding for mine clearance.
The latest incident occurred on Saturday morning in Si Sa Ket province, where three Thai soldiers suffered severe injuries and lost limbs after stepping on a landmine. The landmine involved was a PMN-2 anti-personnel mine, a type that Cambodia is signatory to ban under the Ottawa Convention.
The Facebook page "RTATrend" has further accused Cambodia of misappropriating international funds intended for mine clearance, stating that Cambodia, despite being one of the countries most severely affected by landmines, secretly used these funds for mines instead of clearance.
Lieutenant General Mali Sojeata, spokesperson for Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense, stated that the mines were old and buried in Cambodian territory. However, this claim contradicts the evidence presented by the Royal Thai Army, which shows landmines systematically placed near Cambodian positions targeting Thai forces.
Cambodia joined the Ottawa Convention in 1999, which prohibits the production, use, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. The convention also commits signatories to clear mines within their territory and assist victims.
Despite these accusations, Cambodia has not accepted Thailand's demand to clear the mines as a condition for easing border tensions. Cambodia declined Thailand’s proposal to support joint demining efforts until a ceasefire is fully enforced, implying Cambodia expects to keep deploying landmines until then.
The aftermath of the Khmer Rouge era and decades of civil war from the 1970s to the 1990s left Cambodia littered with landmines, especially along the Thai-Cambodian border. International funding, including projects aided by China, has supported Cambodia’s landmine clearance, benefiting millions. However, this has not stopped alleged ongoing mine use.
The GBC meeting to ease border clashes has concluded, but Cambodia continues to deny landmine use while accepting international funds for mine clearance. Heng Ratana, Director of CMAC, denies that Cambodia uses landmines, claiming any found were Thai mines located in Thai territory. Recent images published by Cambodian media on 31 July 2025 at Ta Kwai Temple indicate otherwise.
These accusations have been reported and discussed in various international media sources as recently as August 2025. The Thai military's statements and evidence strongly align with and substantiate this claim, although Cambodia officially denies these accusations and has not agreed to joint demining efforts.
- The international community is expressing concern over the ongoing use of landmines in the shared border between Thailand and Cambodia, despite Cambodia's status as a signatory to the Ottawa Convention that prohibits the production, use, and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines.
- The ongoing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, coupled with allegations of Cambodia misusing international funds intended for mine clearance, has raised questions about the country's commitment to international conventions and general news about global politics.
- The debate over landmine use and international funding for mine clearance in Cambodia is not only affecting regional health and safety but also raises broader issues about international culture, justice, and global accountability in the crime-and-justice sector.
