Cambodia rejects Thai landmine allegations, calls for impartial investigation

Ly Thuch, first vice-president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA). Supplied

Cambodia has once again issued a firm denial of Thai accusations that it planted new landmines along their shared border, labelling the claims as “baseless” and urging a transparent, fact-based investigation to resolve the dispute.

Ly Thuch, first vice-president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) today, August 12, reiterated Cambodia’s unwavering commitment to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which it joined in 1999. He highlighted the country’s extensive efforts in mine clearance, noting that over one million landmines and nearly three million explosive remnants of war have been safely removed.

He addressed Thailand’s claim that its soldiers were injured by newly laid mines.

“This allegation is entirely unsubstantiated. There is no credible evidence that Cambodia has laid new mines, and no transparent investigation has confirmed such a claim. Cambodia stands by its obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty and rejects any suggestion to the contrary,” he said.

The Kingdom dismissed suggestions that its forces could have acted without authorisation.

“No. Our armed forces operate under strict command structures. We are upholding the agreement to maintain current troop deployments and avoid any movement toward the other side’s positions,” Thuch affirmed.

He added that such allegations threaten the cooperative framework established at the recent Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, where both nations agreed to hold troop positions, cease patrols toward each other’s lines and avoid any actions that could escalate tensions. Cambodia reiterated its full compliance with these commitments.

Thuch called for an impartial investigation involving both countries and, if needed, international mine action experts to establish the truth. He stressed that Cambodia is not accusing Thailand of fabricating claims but cautioned against unverified allegations.

“We are not assigning motives. Until an independent investigation is completed, allegations remain unproven and risk distracting from the shared goal of peace and safety,” he said.

He underscored Cambodia’s long-standing cooperation with the UN, ASEAN and the global mine action community, citing its transparent and internationally recognised efforts in mine clearance. The country remains committed to dialogue, technical cooperation and working with Thailand to ensure peace and safety along the border, he added.