The spokesperson for the National Mine Action Center strongly condemned the Cambodian military's act of laying anti-personnel mines in Ban Sam Lang, Trat Province, which caused another Thai soldier to lose a leg, marking the eighth such injury this year. The center is considering filing a complaint with the global community.
On 22 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Colonel Siwa Whang-akat, spokesperson for the National Mine Action Center, stated that following the incident where personnel from the Engineer Company of the Marine Task Force, Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defense Command, stepped on an anti-personnel mine in Ban Sam Lang, Chamrak Subdistrict, Mueang District, Trat Province, the center strongly condemns the Cambodian military's actions as a violation of the Ottawa Convention. After the Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defense Command took control and inspected areas of Ban Nong Ri and Ban Tha Sen in Trat Province—territories previously occupied and used as military bases by Cambodia—they found undeniable evidence indicating deliberate planning and use of anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices, including maps showing mine placements in Ban Nong Ri.
Colonel Siwa added that this reflects premeditated intent to harm Thai soldiers. They also discovered large stockpiles of weapons and improvised anti-personnel mines in Ban Tha Sen (Kasino Tomoda area), confirming that Cambodian forces have utilized areas inhabited by civilians and possessed and used prohibited weapons in a concrete manner. These actions have resulted in the eighth Thai soldier injured by anti-personnel mines this year, constituting a grave violation of international humanitarian law and indiscriminate threats to human life, affecting both soldiers and innocent civilians. The National Mine Action Center affirms that Cambodia's use, placement, and maintenance of such anti-personnel mines clearly violate the Ottawa Convention and represent unacceptable behavior in the international community.
In response to this incident, the National Mine Action Center will systematically gather all evidence to support actions in all relevant forums, especially to notify the international community and concerned organizations about the ongoing violations. This demonstrates Cambodia's insincerity in resolving the bilateral conflict and poses a significant obstacle to establishing regional peace. Moreover, it undermines confidence in all commitments Cambodia has previously made to the global community in various international meetings.