Cambodia: Thailand Aware of Minefield, Still Crossed Border

The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asserted that the area where Thai soldiers recently triggered landmines lies within Cambodian territory and is widely known to be hazardous.

In a statement issued on August 13, 2025, the ministry said: “It is a fact that these areas have long been documented—by both national and international demining agencies—as containing minefields.”

According to the ministry, the minefield has been internationally registered since Cambodia’s internal conflicts in the 1970s and 1980s. It added that the location is internationally recognized as Cambodian territory under the Franco-Siamese Conventions of 1904 and 1907.

The ministry emphasized that, regardless of any sovereignty disputes over specific coordinates, the incidents would not have occurred had Thai military forces refrained from entering and conducting operations in mine-contaminated zones. Such actions, it said, violated the Agreed Minutes of the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting held on August 7, 2025, which reaffirmed the prohibition on troop movements or patrols beyond current positions.

The statement followed repeated incidents in which Thai soldiers triggered landmines along the Cambodia–Thailand border after the ceasefire. Thailand has accused Cambodia of planting new mines on its territory—an allegation Phnom Penh strongly denies.

Dr. Yang Peou, Secretary-General of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, suggested the incidents were part of a strategy to accuse Cambodia of violating the ceasefire.
“This is a calculated attempt to trap Cambodia. We must not fall for it. The mines in these border areas are old. Cambodia has neither the time nor the intent to lay new mines during the ceasefire,” he said.

Dr. Yang Peou urged the Cambodian government to raise the issue with the United Nations, ASEAN, and other international bodies, arguing that Thailand’s actions reflect continued aggression.

The Foreign Ministry called on Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair, and other ceasefire facilitators to expedite the establishment of a strong, impartial, and independent monitoring mechanism. Cambodia, the ministry said, places its trust in the International Court of Justice to resolve remaining border disputes and urged Thailand to respect its authority.