Thai army exposes Cambodia for misusing demining footage to smear Thai troops

Royal Thai Army spokesperson Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree issued a public statement on Sunday (July 20), refuting allegations made by Cambodian official Heng Ratana, Director-General of the Cambodian Mine Action Authority (CMAA), who claimed that Thai troops had planted new landmines along the Thai-Cambodian border.

According to the Thai military, the allegations are baseless and misleading. The key points of the Thai clarification are as follows:

Type of landmine: The landmines discovered in the Chong Bok area and other nearby border zones were identified as PMN-2 anti-personnel mines—Russian-manufactured explosives that have never been part of the Royal Thai Army’s inventory.

The Thai military insists it has never procured, stored, or used this type of mine in any of its border operations.

Misused media evidence: Photographs and video clips aired by the Cambodian media outlet Fresh News, said to show Thai soldiers planting mines, were confirmed to be taken from a Thai Humanitarian Mine Action Centre (T-MAC) training and demining operation.

The footage shows troops during drills or resting periods, not engaged in planting explosives. The Thai army described the use of these images as a serious distortion of the facts, causing reputational harm to Thailand.

Ottawa Treaty misinterpretation: Heng Ratana had cited Article 5 of the Ottawa Treaty, claiming that because the mines were found within Thai territory, Thailand is responsible.

However, the Thai army contended that this assertion backfires—by acknowledging the mines are in Thai sovereign territory, it confirms illegal cross-border infiltration and mine-laying by foreign actors.

Contradictory information: The Thai military also pointed to contradictory messaging from Cambodian authorities. On the same day (July 20), Cambodian Ministry of Defence spokesperson Lt Gen Malis Socheata stated via the ministry's official Facebook page that Thai soldiers stepped on a landmine at a village in Morakot commune, Choam Khsant district of Preah Vihear province—clearly placing the incident inside Cambodia.

These conflicting statements, the Thai side noted, further undermine the credibility of the Cambodian claims.

The Royal Thai Army reaffirmed its strict compliance with international humanitarian law, including its obligations under the Ottawa Convention, and urged Cambodian authorities to stop spreading false information that could damage bilateral relations and mislead the international community.