—
A Cambodian military expert has rejected claims by the Thai military
that a landmine which detonated under Thai soldiers on Nov. 10 was newly
planted, saying no official ASEAN report supports the allegation.
The
expert said the Thai military’s statement — issued Nov. 24 and citing
findings from the ASEAN Observer Team–Thailand (AOT-Th) — misrepresents
the role of ASEAN observers and does not reflect the truth.
ASEAN
observation reports must be jointly produced by observers based in both
Cambodia and Thailand, the expert noted. A unilateral report from the
Thai side alone cannot be considered valid. To date, ASEAN has issued no
report verifying that the mine was newly planted.
Cambodia
has repeatedly maintained that mines found along the Cambodia–Thailand
border are remnants from decades of civil war and that its forces have
never planted new mines in the area.
The
expert also questioned the credibility of phone images circulated by
Thai soldiers purporting to show newly planted mines, saying such photos
are not strong evidence and could easily be fabricated. He stressed the
need for a joint investigation to establish the facts before drawing
conclusions.
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By: In Sopheng
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