Demining specialist shares belief that Thailand used mine incidents as ‘pretext for invasion’

Ly Thuch (left), first vice-president of the Cambodia Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), and Heng Ratana, director-general of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), address journalists, during an August 18 press conference.

A senior official from the mine action sector has publicly stated that Thailand used landmine incidents as a pretext, or “stepping stone” to invade Cambodian territory.

Heng Ratana, director-general of Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), told journalists at an August 18 press conference that the areas with the highest concentration of mines in Cambodia are along the Thai border, which spans more than 700 kilometres.

He explained that his personal opinion was that the mine explosions claimed by Thailand on July 16 and July 23, which did not escalate into war, were provocations. He suggested that Thailand used these incidents as a pretext to invade Cambodian territory.

He stated that the initial mine explosion, on July 16, was found by CMAC officials to have occurred within Cambodian territory, approximately 300 metres from the border line defined by the 1904 and 1907 Franco-Siamese treaties.

He also noted that if the mine was indeed a PMN-2 type, as Thailand claimed, the victim would have not merely lost a leg but would have been killed instantly. This assertion was based on his past experiences in the demining world.

“Therefore, accusing Cambodia of using PMN-2 mines, with the result that someone stood on one and only lost a leg, is untrue. Secondly, they claim the explosion occurred in an area already cleared of mines, but that area is within Cambodian territory,” he said.

“After the explosion, their forces attempted to inspect the site, but our forces were already stationed there, preventing their entry, and they remained 300 metres from the explosion site. Thus, their claim of finding new mines at the explosion site is false,” he added.

Ratana noted that his demining experts could not verify the details of the subsequent explosions, due to the fact that the situation was extremely tense on the border.

“Before invading Cambodia, they used the mine explosion as a key issue, and the tension following the ceasefire also revolved around the mine explosion issue,” he said.

“This is my personal opinion, not the government’s stance. I believe the mine explosions are being used to accuse Cambodia of deploying new PMN-2 mines, serving as a pretext or basis for invading Cambodia, portraying it as a provocation by Cambodia. This is likely a strategy to justify invading Cambodia,” he added.

Additionally, he believed that Thailand recognises Cambodia’s efforts in mine clearance. Therefore, they appear to be using the recent incidents to discredit Cambodia and accuse it of violating the Ottawa Convention and international law.

Senior minister Ly Thuch, first vice-president of the Cambodia Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), noted that Thailand’s accusations aim to tarnish Cambodia’s reputation regarding its mine clearance efforts. He urged Thailand to act responsibly in their accusations, stop producing fake news and videos, and refrain from falsely accusing Cambodia.