Cambodia Rejects Thai Army’s ‘Politically Motivated’ Landmine Allegations

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Dec. 01, 2025) — Cambodia’s Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) on Sunday dismissed allegations by the Royal Thai Army that Cambodian forces planted new landmines along the border, calling the claims “inaccurate, politically motivated and inconsistent with established facts.”

The statement followed a landmine blast on Nov. 29 that injured a Chinese national, Shi Jingui, as he attempted to cross from Thailand into Cambodia near Chouk Chey village in Banteay Meanchey province. CMAA confirmed the incident occurred inside Cambodian territory within a minefield contaminated by decades-old explosives left from past conflicts.

“Cambodia reiterates with absolute confidence that we have not laid any new landmines — not now, not in the past decades, and not under any circumstances,” the authority said, stressing Cambodia’s obligations as a State Party to the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines.

Officials said no investigation results have been shared with Cambodia, ASEAN or international mechanisms, and urged Thailand to provide any verified evidence through “official, professional channels, not via public statements or social media.”

CMAA expressed sympathy for the injured man but rejected what it called fabricated narratives that distort Cambodia’s record of mine clearance and commitment to a mine-free future.

“Public accusations only inflame tensions and mislead the international community,” the statement read, calling for a joint, independent investigation and reaffirming Cambodia’s commitment to peaceful border management under international law.