“THAILAND NEEDS TO STOP REDIRECTING THE DEBATE TO SECONDARY ISSUES”

There is nothing wrong with the Thai government’s heightened attention to mines and unexploded ordinance along the border. This is a decades old problem, and I am confident that the Cambodian people would agree in principle with the view that these silent weapons of war have killed or maimed thousands of innocent people on both sides. However given the current situation along the border, this is not the most primary issue preventing peace.

Thailand needs to stop redirecting the debate to secondary issues and focus on the matter at hand, which is a transparent, honest and unequivocal commitment to peace along the border. Mines and unexploded ordinance are just one element of this strategic problem that both countries must work together to resolve, and resolution is only possible through honesty, transparency, and a good faith commitment on the part of not just the governments, but also the militaries.

THE THAI MILITARY, SPECIFICALLY, IS NOT ACTING IN UNITY WITH THE THAI GOVERNMENT, at least as observed on the ground.

— YOUK CHHANG
Director, Documentation Center of Cambodia
August 28, 2025
Photo: Youk Chhang visiting Choam—Sangam border checkpoint & Anlong Veng Peace Center.