Foreign ministry aide accuses Cambodia of ignoring border demining proposal
Ras Chaleechan, Assistant Minister to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has accused Cambodia of ignoring Thailand’s proposal to conduct humanitarian demining operations along the Thai–Cambodian border.
He made the remarks during a briefing on Friday to diplomats from states party to the Ottawa Convention regarding Cambodia’s use of anti-personnel landmines. The delegation comprised ambassadors, chargés d’affaires, representatives from embassies, military attachés, and international organisations from 41 countries.
Ras emphasised that Thailand considers the landmine problem along the Thai–Cambodian border a matter not only of national security but also of urgent humanitarian concern, as it remains the only area still affected by such weapons.
He noted that Thailand had formally proposed that Cambodia conduct humanitarian demining along the border during the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) meeting held in Kuala Lumpur from August 4 to 7, but Cambodia had refused to accept the proposal.
To follow up on Friday’s briefing, the Thai Foreign Ministry has invited embassy representatives to visit affected areas on Saturday (August 16) to witness the damage caused by anti-personnel mines allegedly recently planted by Cambodian forces.
The visit will include the humanitarian demining operations unit in Si Sa Ket province and nearby affected terrain, followed by a tour of Ban Nong Mek in Kantharalak district, where homes have been damaged by Cambodian weapon attacks.
Ras said he hoped the visit would provide a clearer understanding of the facts and highlight the indiscriminate and inhumane humanitarian impact of landmines.
He stressed that cooperation from both donor and affected countries is essential to reduce the threat of landmines, protect the safety of affected communities, and create opportunities for security, well-being, and development in the region.
He also reiterated the GBC’s recent agreements for Thailand and Cambodia to uphold the ceasefire, establish an “Interim Observer Team” (IOT) made up of ASEAN military attachés based in each country—operating separately and independently to monitor compliance within their respective borders—and coordinate closely with the Regional Border Committee (RBC) and each country’s General Border Committee.
Both sides also agreed to maintain open communication channels and use all existing bilateral mechanisms to prevent any escalation, including convening the RBC meeting, which began on August 15.
