In a sharp move this Wednesday, Thailand announced it is downgrading diplomatic ties with Cambodia after a landmine exploded near the border, injuring five Thai soldiers, one critically.
Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered the recall of Thailand’s ambassador to Cambodia and the expulsion of Cambodia’s ambassador to Thailand. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also been instructed to lodge a formal protest, signaling that "Thailand will further consider the level of relationship with Cambodia," according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The injured soldiers were patrolling a disputed stretch of the border when the landmine detonated. This follows a similar incident last week that wounded three more Thai soldiers, stoking tension in a region already on edge after a late-May exchange of gunfire left one Cambodian soldier dead.
Thailand accused Cambodia of planting new mines in violation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention—also known as the Ottawa Convention. The accusation adds diplomatic weight to what Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense calls a misunderstanding.
Lieutenant General Maly Socheata, spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, swiftly rejected the claims as "baseless," pointing out that the area remains littered with war remnants and urging Thai forces to adhere to the mutually agreed patrol routes set out in the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding.
Despite rising tensions, Cambodia reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the border dispute peacefully and under international law. Observers say the standoff will test ASEAN’s capacity to mediate regional conflicts and could reshape diplomatic dynamics in Southeast Asia.
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Thailand downgrades ties with Cambodia over border landmine incident
cgtn.com
