Thailand and Cambodia at Odds Over Border Dispute and Landmine Incident
A landmine explosion that wounded three Thai soldiers near the Cambodian border on Saturday has strained a fragile ceasefire and sparked formal accusations from Thailand that Cambodia is violating an international treaty.
The incident occurred just two days after both nations agreed to a plan to de-escalate tensions following deadly clashes last month.
According to the Thai army, a patrol was moving through Sisaket province on August 9 when a soldier stepped on a concealed anti-personnel mine.
The resulting blast severely injured a sergeant major. In a formal statement, the Thai foreign ministry declared the incident “confirmed the Thai army’s findings that new land mines are being laid in blatant violation of international law,” specifically the Ottawa Convention, which both countries have ratified.
Cambodia Rejects Allegations
Cambodian authorities have vigorously denied the accusations. The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority issued a statement insisting its forces “have not, and will not, plant new land mines.”
Officials suggested the explosion could have been caused by ordnance left over from decades of previous conflicts in the region, pointing to their internationally recognized efforts in clearing millions of landmines and other unexploded devices.
The incident places significant pressure on a peace process that was only recently established. On August 7, officials from both nations met in Malaysia to agree on a 13-point plan to enforce a ceasefire that had been declared on July 29.
That ceasefire followed five days of intense fighting last month that caused dozens of casualties and displaced more than 260,000 people.