Thailand Accuses Cambodia of Planting Land Mines in Disputed Border Area

TaiwanPlus News

Thailand has accused Cambodia of illegally planting land mines in a disputed border area, leading to several casualties. Cambodian officials maintain that the mines are remnants of prior conflicts in the region and not newly placed.

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00:00Soldiers carefully patrolled this disputed border area between Thailand and Cambodia using metal

00:08detectors to scan for mines. It's an area that's seen deadly conflict and tensions re-emerged in

00:14July this year when a Thai soldier stepped on a landmine while on patrol there. Five other Thai

00:19soldiers have since been injured by landmines, a sensitive topic in a region where their use

00:23is particularly controversial. It's a life experience not worth remembering but it's an

00:30indication that the opponent did sneak into the area and planted these mines and that they have

00:34violated the Ottawa Convention. Both Thailand and Cambodia are signatories to the Ottawa Convention

00:41which bans the use of anti-personnel mines and requires all stockpiles to be destroyed. Bangkok

00:46is accusing Cambodia of laying an old type of Soviet landmine, relatively common in the area,

00:51violating that treaty. But Phnom Penh says the landmines are remnants of previous conflicts

00:56that only appeared to be recently laid. Evidence presented by Thailand has never been

01:02subjected to any independent or joint investigation over the time. There was erosion, there was

01:11vegetation and flooding areas so mines have been moving around and that they remain as fresh

01:20fresh mines, but they are all mines. But Thai officials are not convinced. They're releasing

01:26images of mines recently discovered, shrapnel from explosions and information about soldiers' injuries.

01:31Evidence some experts say points to renewed attacks on Thai soldiers.

01:35These were very shallowly laid mines and very recently laid mines underneath it. In my mind there is

01:43absolutely no doubt they were placed there to target the Thai patrol, not for conventional border security.

01:52So I have no doubt that the July 16th one were definitely part of the pyramid too.

01:57Phnom Penh has long pushed to eliminate landmines that have plagued the country and its civilians,

02:02spending about a billion US dollars on demining over the last 30 years. But after five days of clashes

02:08with Thai troops in July ended in a ceasefire, the lingering threat of unexploded mines still endangers

02:13that fragile peace. Larry Siano and Joseph Wu for Taiwan Plus.

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