Thailand accuses Cambodia of undermining border peace efforts

Thailand has accused Cambodia of undermining efforts to maintain peace along their shared border, following a series of landmine incidents involving Thai soldiers.

According to a statement from the Second Army Region of Thailand’s ground forces, the planting of anti-personnel mines by Cambodian forces on Thai territory violates existing ceasefire agreements and hinders ongoing peace initiatives, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The statement noted that on August 27, in Surin province near the Cambodian border, a Thai serviceman lost his leg in the sixth such incident this month, while two of his colleagues sustained minor injuries. PMN-2 mines had also been discovered on August 21 and 22.

“All these incidents clearly demonstrate the insincere compliance of the Cambodian military with ceasefire agreements signed at the meetings of the General Border Committee and the Regional Border Committee,” the statement said.

“Moreover, this violates the Ottawa Treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. Such actions not only contravene the principles of peace initiatives but also create serious obstacles to establishing lasting peace along the Thai-Cambodian border,” it added.

By Khagan Isayev