CMAC urges extreme public caution over Thai M46 cluster bomb submunitions in border areas

CMAC urges extreme public caution over Thai M46 cluster bomb submunitions in border areas

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The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) has issued an urgent warning calling on residents living in provinces along the Cambodian–Thai border to exercise extreme caution regarding M46 cluster bomb submunitions, used by the Thai military on Cambodian territory.

media platforms, CMAC said the submunitions pose a danger to civilians, particularly as many have been discovered in and around residential areas.

Alongside images of the M46 submunitions, CMAC stated: “This is the appearance of the M46 cluster bomb submunition used by the Thai military in Cambodia. Most of these submunitions have been found in residential areas. The public is urged to remain highly vigilant and to inform family members, especially those living in high-risk areas, not to touch them, and to report their presence to CMAC immediately.”

CMAC emphasised that unexploded submunitions remain extremely hazardous and can cause severe injuries or fatalities if disturbed, posing a long-term threat to communities in affected border areas.

Cluster munitions are internationally prohibited under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which came into force in 2010. To date, 123 countries have joined the convention, committing to ban the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of such weapons due to their indiscriminate impact on civilians.

-Khmer Times-