Cambodia rebuffs Thai landmine claims amid diplomatic fallout over border pact

Cambodia rebuffs Thai landmine claims amid diplomatic fallout over border pact

The Cambodian government has issued a sharply worded rebuttal to Thailand’s decision to suspend a recently signed Joint Declaration, following a landmine explosion that injured two Thai soldiers near the disputed border zone of Phnom Trop.

The incident, which occurred on 10 November in the vicinity of the Temple of Preah Vihear, has reignited tensions between the neighbouring states. Thai officials cited the explosion as justification for halting the bilateral agreement and cancelling the scheduled release of 18 Cambodian soldiers held in Thai custody.

In a formal statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation yesterday, Cambodia categorically denied allegations that it had laid new landmines in the area. The ministry emphasised that the border region remains littered with unexploded ordnance from civil conflicts in the 1970s and 1980s, and that many minefields have yet to be cleared due to rugged terrain and unresolved demarcation.

“Cambodia has never used any new landmines and will never do so,” the statement read, reaffirming the country’s commitment to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

The Joint Declaration, signed on 26 October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, was hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough. It was witnessed by U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who also chairs ASEAN. The pact aimed to de-escalate military tensions and promote cooperation along the Cambodia-Thailand frontier.

Cambodia’s foreign ministry expressed dismay at Thailand’s abrupt suspension of the agreement, noting that the declaration had received widespread international support and symbolised a new chapter in regional diplomacy.

-Khmer Times-