Thailand Urges UN Fact-Finding Mission Following Allegations of New Cambodian Landmines

Brickinfo News Agency – On December 5, 2025, Thailand formally called for the establishment of an independent UN fact-finding mission during the 22nd Meeting of the States Parties of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in Geneva. Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow addressed the assembly, highlighting a critical border security issue where Thai soldiers have reportedly suffered permanent disabilities due to landmines allegedly planted by Cambodia. The Minister emphasized the urgent need to utilize the Convention’s mechanisms to resolve the dispute transparently and depoliticize the situation effectively.

In his statement regarding the Thailand–Cambodia border situation, Mr. Sihasak clarified that while Thailand remains committed to the Ottawa Convention and has engaged in bilateral mechanisms in good faith, the nation cannot remain silent while its personnel endure injuries from acts prohibited under the treaty. He asserted that the deployment of these weapons constitutes a breach of Article 1 of the Convention. Consequently, Thailand has reserved its right to invoke Article 8, paragraph 2, requesting formal clarification from Cambodia. The Minister noted that previous responses from Cambodia have contradicted verified evidence and have been consistently accompanied by what he described as disinformation.

Addressing the integrity of the international treaty, the Foreign Minister posed a direct question to the assembly: “If a State Party can plant new mines and simply deny it without consequence, what will happen after the next casualty?” He underscored that the most fair and effective path forward is to request the UN Secretary-General’s good offices to facilitate a fact-finding mission in a timely manner. Thailand’s stated objective is to verify the facts through the Convention’s own mechanisms, thereby protecting the treaty’s credibility and demonstrating its functionality when needed most.

Supporting the Minister’s statement, Ms. Usana Berananda, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN in Geneva, exercised the Right of Reply to rebut Cambodia’s accusations that Thailand was acting unilaterally or politicizing the injuries of its soldiers. The Thai delegation presented concrete evidence to the meeting, including video footage allegedly showing Cambodian personnel training to plant PMN-2 landmines. This evidence has been submitted to the United Nations Secretary-General. Ambassador Usana pointed out that if Cambodia is committed to resolving the issue in good faith, it should accept the proposal for an independent mission to enhance transparency.

Throughout the duration of the meeting, the Thai delegation—comprising representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC), and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security—operated with a unified stance. Representatives from each agency delivered statements and exercised rights of reply under relevant agenda items to reaffirm the national position and defend Thailand’s interests regarding the implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.