The commander of Thailand’s Second Army has accused Cambodia of violating a ceasefire agreement and the Ottawa Treaty on landmines after a Thai soldier lost a leg in a mine explosion near Ta Krabey temple on Wednesday.
Thailand’s Khaosod newspaper reported that General Boonsin Padklang condemned Cambodia in strong terms, saying the incident was further evidence of continued breaches of both the ceasefire and the Ottawa Convention.
General Boonsin Padklang said Thai troops had been using mine detection equipment in the area but were unable to locate the device because it was made of plastic. He claimed the mine had been newly planted and said the Thai military was preparing a response plan to protest Cambodia’s actions.
The incident occurred while Thai troops were carrying out operations around Ta Krabey temple in Phanom Dong Rak district of Surin province. The area, including the nearby 350 Hill, is known to host Cambodian military positions and is surrounded by minefields.
At a press conference on August 18, following earlier Thai allegations, Cambodia’s first deputy director of the Cambodian Mine Authority, Ly Thuch, said the site where the Thai soldier was injured lay within an old battlefield dating back to Cambodia’s civil war.
He added that the danger to Thai soldiers came as a direct result of what he called their incursions into Cambodian sovereign territory.
The Cambodia Daily has not yet been able to reach government spokesman Pen Bona for comment on the latest mine explosion involving Thai troops.
