Cambodia has dismissed accusations from Thailand that its troops secretly planted new landmines along the border in violation of the Ottawa Treaty. The Cambodian Mine Action Centre, or CMAC, described the claims as unfounded and politically motivated.

Speaking at a press conference on August 18, 2025, CMAC First Vice President Ly Thuch said the area where Thai soldiers were reportedly injured was a former battlefield dating back to the Vietnam War and Cambodia’s internal conflict between government forces and the Khmer Rouge from 1979 to 1996.

Ly Thuch stressed that as a country deeply scarred by decades of landmines, Cambodia regards mines as an enemy of the nation and its people. He said Cambodia already has more than enough mines on its soil and has no need to plant new ones, adding that the country is now a global leader in mine clearance.

The Cambodian side expressed regret that Thailand had raised the issue in a way that it said amounted to armed provocation and a violation of Cambodian sovereignty. Ly Thuch also suggested Thai soldiers were injured because they had crossed into Cambodian territory.

On August 17, the Bangkok Post reported that Thailand brought diplomats from 33 countries to Sisaket province to observe demining operations and to view mines which the Thai army alleged had recently been planted by Cambodia. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa has also contacted the United Nations Secretary General and Japan’s Foreign Minister, who chairs the Ottawa Treaty, urging an international investigation.

On the same day, CMAC Director General Heng Ratana rejected the Thai presentation, saying that the PMN-2 mines shown to foreign diplomats still had their safety pins attached. He explained that mines laid in the ground for detonation would have their safety devices removed, meaning the examples presented could not have come from the soil as claimed.

CMAC told reporters that Cambodia still has more than 700 kilometres of mine-affected land along its border with Thailand. Many of these areas remain uncleared because they lie inside disputed border zones. Despite three decades of clearance efforts, Cambodia has so far destroyed more than one million landmines.

The Cambodian side insists the mines that remain are remnants of past conflicts, particularly in territory once controlled by the Khmer Rouge. It has also called on Thailand to dismantle border fencing, which Thailand claims was erected to prevent Cambodians from settling inside Thai territory.

Diplomats and technical experts from the 33 countries visiting the border were informed that they could distinguish between old mines and newly planted devices, and that the mines on display were of Soviet manufacture. Cambodian officials accused some Thai media of reporting without evidence.

According to The Nation newspaper, Thai authorities presented what they said was proof of Cambodian troop movements and mine-laying. The evidence reportedly included photographs and video said to show Cambodian soldiers relocating PMN-2 mines near several temple sites along the frontier. Thai officials also claimed Cambodia refused to cooperate on joint demining efforts in border areas.

This latest dispute comes against a backdrop of long-running tensions between the two neighbours over territorial claims and historic battlefields, where landmines continue to pose a deadly risk to soldiers and civilians alike.

A regional affairs analyst says the swift creation of an Interim Observation Team shows Cambodia’s determination to ensure the ceasefire with Thailand is effectively implemented.

Seng Vannly, a political geography observer in the Asia-Pacific region, wrote on Facebook that the team, made up of ASEAN military attachés based in Phnom Penh but excluding Thailand, reflects Cambodia’s commitment to the truce, while Thailand continues to violate it.

He said Cambodia’s next step should be to push ASEAN, the United States, and China to accelerate the establishment of a permanent ASEAN monitoring team and to press Thailand to agree quickly on its terms of reference and operational framework.

On August 14, Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence said the Interim Observation Team had visited border areas directly affected by the recent Cambodia-Thailand border tensions to assess the security situation.

The ministry said their mission included travelling to Battambang province to hear a report from Fifth Military Region Commander Ek Sam Oun following the ceasefire. The next destinations are in Banteay Meanchey province, including Boeung Trakuon in Thma Puok district, O Bei Choan in Chouk Chey village in O’Chrov district, and the Poipet international border crossing.

The Interim Observation Team is led by Malaysian military attachés and includes representatives from Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The mission follows agreements reached during a special meeting on July 28 and an Extraordinary General Border Committee session on August 7 in Malaysia.

At the August 7 meeting, Cambodia and Thailand agreed on twelve of the thirteen proposed conditions to safeguard the ceasefire. One of those terms was the creation of the Interim Observation Team, comprising ASEAN military attachés and led independently by Malaysia’s military attachés.

The Cambodian government says a recent landmine explosion on the border would not have occurred if Thai forces had fully respected a ceasefire agreement.

Government spokesperson Pen Bona told reporters on August 14 that Thai troops had moved into Cambodian territory in violation of the agreement, stepping on mines left over from past conflicts. He accused Thailand of using the incident to portray itself as a victim and mislead the international community.

Pen Bona urged Thailand to honour the ceasefire that took effect on July 28, following talks in Malaysia. He said the deployment of tyre barricades, the use of barbed wire, and the movement of weapons by Thai troops into Cambodian territory were clear violations of points two and four of the agreement reached at the Extraordinary General Border Committee meeting.

Thailand’s government spokesperson Jirayu Huangsab told The Nation newspaper that Bangkok had formally accused Cambodia of concealing anti-personnel mines along the border, calling it a serious breach of international law and humanitarian principles. He said Thailand was notifying the international community of what it claimed were Cambodian violations of the Ottawa Convention on landmines.

Jirayu Huangsab added that Thailand would host a visit on August 16 for diplomats from countries that are signatories to the Ottawa Convention to the provinces of Ubon Ratchathani and Sisaket to gather evidence of the mines.

On August 13, Cambodian Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Maly Socheata also called on Thailand to respect both the terms and the spirit of the ceasefire and the General Border Committee agreements. She said both sides had agreed to keep their troops in their current positions as of midnight on July 28, when the ceasefire came into effect.

Maly Socheata said Cambodia had repeatedly reminded Thailand that the area around Ta Moan Temple and other parts of the border still contained mines left from wartime. She stressed Cambodia had not used and would not use new anti-personnel mines. Cambodia joined the Ottawa Convention in 1999 and has been recognised internationally for its mine clearance efforts and for not deploying such weapons.

She added that there had been no formal and transparent investigation to confirm the facts surrounding the most recent case in which soldiers were reportedly injured by a mine near Ta Moan Thom Temple.

Residents of Prek Chan village in Banteay Meanchey province have called for urgent international intervention after claiming that Thai soldiers surrounded their homes with barricades.

Villagers from Prek Chan in O’Chrov district say they pleaded with the Interim Observation Team, led by Malaysian military officers, after the incident on Wednesday afternoon.

On August 13, 2025, Cambodian residents alleged that Thai troops set up obstacles and used vehicle tyres to block access to their houses in Prek Chan, O’Bei Choan commune, O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province.

Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire on July 28, 2025, and established 13 conditions on August 7. These include prohibitions on attacks against civilians and military targets, as well as a ban on troop movements.

However, the Cambodian government has accused Thailand of repeatedly violating the agreement, including by crossing into Cambodian territory at An Ses in Preah Vihear province and at Nang Chan in Banteay Meanchey province, as well as surrounding civilian homes.

Reuters reported today that during the 10th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation meeting in China on August 14, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Cambodia and Thailand to resolve their border dispute through dialogue and negotiation.

The same report said China believes both countries can settle their differences peacefully and supports ASEAN’s role in contributing positively to resolving the Cambodia-Thailand border issue in the interest of regional unity.

Wang Yi said China also supports the two countries in strengthening dialogue, building mutual trust, and restoring their friendship.

Cambodian Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Maly Socheata told reporters that Cambodia remains committed to implementing the ceasefire effectively and settling disputes peacefully, in accordance with international law, the United Nations Charter, and the ASEAN Charter.

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister says he will provide additional funding for the Second Army Region Commander, Boonsin Padklang, to defend what he described as national sovereignty, which Thailand claims is being encroached upon by Cambodia.

According to Thai news outlet Khaosod, Phumtham Wechayachai said on Thursday that protecting national sovereignty is the most urgent priority and that the military should receive whatever it needs from all available sources.

The remarks come amid reports that Thai troops have been laying barbed wire inside Cambodian territory despite a recently agreed ceasefire.

Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata told reporters that on August 12 and 13, Thai paratroopers and border patrol forces, armed with weapons, entered the area opposite Chouk Chey border gate and laid barbed wire and vehicle barricades in Chouk Chey village, O’Beichoan commune, Ou Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province, inside the operational area of Cambodia’s Fifth Military Region.

She called on Thailand to immediately and unconditionally end all activities that violate the ceasefire and the spirit of the Extraordinary General Border Committee meeting.

Several Cambodian residents in Prey Chan village stated in a video posted by opposition New Generation Party leader Meach Sovannara that on the afternoon of August 13, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Thai troops surrounded their homes in Prey Chan village, O’Beichoan commune, Ou Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province.

Speaking a day earlier at a United States Independence Day event in Malaysia, US Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan urged both Thailand and Cambodia to refrain from provocative actions or statements that could undermine the ceasefire.

Edgard D. Kagan said he did not wish to take sides or assign blame but called on both countries to take appropriate steps to ensure that military and civilian personnel respect the agreement.

The ceasefire, which took effect on July 28, was followed by a General Border Committee agreement on 13 measures. These included a pledge not to expand troop deployments, adherence to international law on prisoners of war, a follow-up General Border Committee meeting within one month, a Regional Border Committee meeting, and other steps to reduce tensions.

Cambodia has called on Thailand to expedite the establishment of an ASEAN observer group, led by Malaysia, to fully and effectively verify and implement the recent ceasefire between the two countries.

Speaking at a press conference on August 13, Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata urged Thailand to respect the terms of the ceasefire agreement and the spirit of unity reached during the General Border Committee meeting. The agreement included a commitment by both sides to maintain their military forces in their current positions and not to relocate them before the ceasefire officially took effect at midnight on July 28.

Maly Socheata also raised concerns about landmines along the border near Ta Moan temple, stressing that Cambodia has repeatedly informed Thailand that the area still contains mines left over from past conflicts. She said Cambodia does not use new mines under any circumstances and is a state party to the 1999 Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines. Cambodia, she added, has been internationally recognised for its achievements in mine clearance and its compliance with the treaty.

She stated that so far, there has been no official and transparent investigation to confirm the facts in the recent incident in which soldiers stepped on a mine near Ta Moan Thom temple.

On August 7, Cambodia and Thailand held an extraordinary meeting of the General Border Committee in Malaysia, attended by observers from Malaysia, the United States, and China. The meeting produced a 13-point agreement aimed at ensuring the ceasefire holds, following five days of cross-border shelling that caused casualties among both military personnel and civilians.

On July 20, the Thai Foreign Ministry accused Cambodia of secretly planting landmines on Thai territory, injuring three Thai soldiers. That statement coincided with a Cambodian Defence Ministry declaration claiming the mine blast occurred because Thai troops had patrolled a newly constructed road within Cambodian sovereign territory.

The head of the Australia-based Khmer Organisation for Democracy, Soeng Senkaruna, has called on the international community to impose clear penalties to deter violations of the Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire.

Soeng Senkaruna said on Tuesday that the truce agreed by the two countries contains no binding provisions for punishing violations, allowing Thailand to continue breaching it. He accused Thai forces of repeated incursions into Cambodian territory, including setting up encampments and digging trenches.

He urged stakeholders such as the United States, ASEAN, Malaysia and China to review the ceasefire agreement and add provisions specifying sanctions for any party that violates it. Without such measures, he said, the truce cannot guarantee an effective and just resolution to the conflict.

The civil society leader also appealed for unity among all Cambodians, regardless of political affiliation, saying that internal divisions at a time of foreign territorial aggression would only weaken the nation.

Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Maly Socheata told reporters on Tuesday that Cambodia remains firmly committed to respecting and fully implementing the ceasefire agreement and the understandings reached at the August 7 extraordinary meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee.

She said Cambodia will work closely with Thailand, Malaysia, ASEAN members and all relevant partners to ensure the ceasefire is fully effective and that all disputes are resolved peacefully following international law, the UN Charter and the ASEAN Charter.

Maly Socheata added that within two weeks, the Regional Border Committee will meet with its Thai counterparts, in line with the spirit and agreements reached on August 7.

Following what Cambodia says were Thai violations of the truce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a formal letter on August 11 to the president of the United Nations Security Council and the UN Secretary-General, warning of escalating risks and threats to the ceasefire.

The letter referred to a statement by Thailand’s Second Army Region Commander, Boonsin Padklang, on August 10, in which he threatened to seize Ta Krabey Temple and close Ta Moan Thom Temple.

Commenting on the issue, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Chum Sounry said on August 12 that Cambodia demands the Thai military respect both the UN Charter and the ASEAN Charter.

She said Thailand must end all incursions and occupation of Cambodian territory, and withdraw all personnel and equipment, to ensure full and unconditional compliance with the July 28 ceasefire and the August 7 agreements.

Cambodia is calling on Thailand to immediately and unconditionally release 18 Cambodian soldiers who have been held for the past two weeks, urging respect for the 13-point agreement reached between the two sides.

Speaking at a press conference on August 12, Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Maly Socheata said Cambodia continues to press Thailand to honour the agreement and return the soldiers so they can reunite with families who are waiting for them.

She said the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and the international community will continue to demand that Thailand meet its obligations under international humanitarian law. She stressed that the Cambodian government will never abandon any family member or leave them isolated.

Maly Socheata reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to working constructively, sincerely and in close cooperation with Thailand, Malaysia, other ASEAN members and all relevant partners to ensure a full and effective ceasefire and to resolve disputes peacefully in line with international law, the United Nations Charter and the ASEAN Charter.

According to the Ministry of National Defence, Lloyd Gillett, a regional military delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross who met the 18 Cambodian soldiers in Thai custody, confirmed they are all currently safe and in good health.

However, Thai Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree stated that Thailand will not release the soldiers unless Cambodia stops laying mines.

On August 12, Transparency International Cambodia and several civil society organisations voiced concern over the situation of the detained soldiers, particularly following the release of two others earlier. They called on Thailand to release the 18 immediately and without conditions, citing worries about their physical and mental well-being.

The arrests took place on the morning of July 29, after the Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire came into effect. Major General Chan Sopheaktra, commander of the Preah Vihear battlefront operational area, said Thai troops had invited the Cambodian soldiers to take souvenir photographs together at Chhong Tae border post. He claimed that immediately afterwards, Thai forces hidden in the forest emerged with weapons drawn and detained the Cambodian soldiers.

Cambodia’s national mine clearance authority has warned that unexploded cluster munitions fired by the Thai military into Cambodian territory are posing a severe risk to both soldiers and civilians, as they could detonate at any time.

Heng Ratana, director general of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday that during the recent five-day war, Thai forces used 115-millimetre artillery shells and M46 cluster munitions. He said the bomblets from these weapons could land in trees, on rooftops, on the ground, underground or in water.

The authority said each shell contains 56 M46 bomblets. CMAC teams have found these explosives in several parts of Cambodia and are clearing them to ensure public safety.

Heng Ratana urged residents in affected areas to be extremely cautious, particularly in Samraong district and Banteay Ampil district in Oddar Meanchey province, and in Choam Ksan district in Preah Vihear province. He appealed to anyone who sees or suspects the presence of unexploded cluster munitions or other ordnance to contact CMAC specialists, local authorities or the nearest police unit for safe removal.

On July 25, Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Maly Socheata accused Thailand of illegally using cluster munitions on Cambodian territory, calling it a grave violation of international law, including the Convention on Cluster Munitions. She said their deployment poses a long-term threat to civilian life, constitutes a war crime under international law and undermines peace and security in the region.

The Cambodia-Thailand war lasted from July 24 to July 28, 2025. During those five days, Thai forces reportedly used a range of heavy weaponry, including F-16 fighter jets, bomb-dropping drones, artillery, cluster munitions and aircraft releasing toxic smoke.

Responding to the allegation, Thai Army spokesperson Winthai Suwaree acknowledged on July 26 that Thailand had used cluster munitions against Cambodia. However, he said Thailand is not a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The international ban on cluster munitions came into force in 2010. A total of 123 countries have joined the treaty, which prohibits the use, development, production, acquisition, stockpiling and transfer of such weapons, as well as assisting or participating in any prohibited activity.