Heartbreak and Outrage as Families Demand Justice for Cross-Border Rocket Attack Victims
Eight families mourn fallen loved ones, including an eight-year-old child, as international delegation witnesses the devastating impact of Cambodian rocket fire on a Thai petrol station
- Families of eight Thai civilians killed in a Cambodian cross-border rocket attack are demanding justice from an international delegation.
- The attack struck a petrol station approximately 30 kilometers from the border, a civilian area far from military operations, killing victims including an eight-year-old child.
- The Royal Thai Army presented the site to foreign diplomats and media, labeling the long-range strike a clear violation of humanitarian law.
Tears flowed and emotions ran high on Thursday as the shattered families of eight victims, brutally killed by a Cambodian BM-21 rocket strike on a petrol station, made a poignant plea for justice to an international delegation.
The harrowing scene unfolded at the PTT Ban Phue petrol station in Nong Ya Lad, Kantaralak district, Si Sa Ket, where a Royal Thai Army Public Relations Centre (RTAPC) delegation, comprising ambassadors, chargés d'affaires, and representatives from 11 nations, along with 23 military attachés and 200 media personnel, witnessed the devastating aftermath.
Among the 8 Thai civilians who tragically lost their lives was an innocent eight-year-old child, while 10 others sustained injuries in the horrific attack on the convenience store.
The grieving families, clutching photographs of their deceased loved ones, directly appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, security agencies, and the visiting foreign diplomats for accountability.
Reporters on the ground witnessed the raw emotion, with Lt Col Derek Wessan, the Canadian Military Attaché, visibly moved to tears by the heart-wrenching spectacle.
Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, explained the purpose of bringing the diplomatic and media delegation to the site.
He emphasised that the primary objective was to expose the direct impact on civilians, highlighting that the affected area is significantly removed from military operations, which are predominantly located along the border.
"The damage here is a result of long-range weapons used from the Cambodian side," Maj Gen Winthai stated, pointing out that the site is approximately 30 kilometres from the border. "This is a violation of both legal principles and humanitarian law."
The petrol station was chosen as the first site for the delegation due to the sheer number of casualties and because it was among the initial locations hit on July 24, the first day of hostilities.
Maj Gen Winthai further noted that civilian homes, a hospital, and a school are also located nearby, with the hospital and school falling under international humanitarian protection.
"We are presenting the facts to the public," Maj Gen Winthai asserted, "because the Cambodian side is also attempting to communicate, but their content lacks credibility, unlike the Thai side, which operates solely on factual evidence."
Following the emotionally charged visit to the petrol station, the delegation continued its tour to Phum Saron Witthaya School and then to the Ban Sam Meng Sub-district Health Promoting Hospital in Sao Thong Chai, Kantaralak district, Si Sa Ket.
