Cambodia Condemns Thailand’s False Landmine Accusations, Decries Disinformation Campaign to Mask Military Aggression

Cambodia Condemns Thailand’s False Landmine Accusations, Decries Disinformation Campaign to Mask Military Aggression

Phnom Penh, 23 December 2025 — The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) has issued a strong and unequivocal condemnation of Thailand’s latest accusations regarding landmines, denouncing them as false, unverified, and deliberately misleading, and warning that they form part of a broader disinformation campaign aimed at concealing Thailand’s ongoing military aggression against the Kingdom of Cambodia.

In a forceful official statement, the CMAA rejected Thailand’s claims, noting that they rely on selectively released images and unilateral military assertions, unsupported by any independent verification, impartial investigation, or internationally recognized fact-finding mechanism. The Authority stressed that photographs and objects presented without verified location, date, chain of custody, or neutral technical assessment do not constitute evidence under international law, and that repetition of such claims does not transform falsehoods into truth.

The CMAA accused Thailand of exploiting the humanitarian issue of landmines as a political smokescreen, seeking to divert international attention from what Cambodia describes as grave violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity, including cross-border military incursions, aerial bombardment of civilian areas, and the use of prohibited weapons on Cambodian territory.

According to the statement, Thailand’s actions — including the alleged deployment of F-16 fighter jets striking areas near civilian communities — have resulted in civilian casualties, mass displacement, and widespread destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, religious sites, and critical civilian infrastructure. The CMAA asserted that such conduct constitutes serious violations of the United Nations Charter, the ASEAN Charter, and core principles of international humanitarian law.

Cambodia further expressed grave concern over credible reports of Thailand’s use of cluster munitions and toxic gas in or near civilian areas, emphasizing that these weapons are inherently indiscriminate, cause long-term harm to civilian populations, contaminate land for generations, and may amount to war crimes under international law.

The CMAA categorically rejected what it described as Thailand’s attempt to weaponize humanitarian disarmament narratives, warning that mine-action principles and humanitarian treaties must not be misused to justify military escalation, obscure airstrikes against civilians, or distract from acts of cross-border force.

“Disinformation, no matter how frequently repeated, cannot conceal the reality of bombs falling on civilian areas,” the statement declared.

Reaffirming Cambodia’s commitment to peace, international law, and regional stability, the CMAA stressed that while Cambodia has consistently exercised restraint, restraint must not be mistaken for silence, nor silence for acceptance. Cambodia, it said, will not accept the normalization of aggression, the distortion of humanitarian principles, or the manipulation of international opinion through false narratives.

The CMAA urgently called on the international community to unequivocally condemn Thailand’s military aggression, urged the United Nations, ASEAN, and relevant international mechanisms to take immediate action to protect civilians, and appealed to all states committed to the rule of law to reject disinformation and hold accountable those responsible for attacks on civilian populations.

“The credibility of international law depends on action, not silence,” the statement concluded. “Cambodia remains committed to peace and dialogue, but peace cannot be built on airstrikes against civilians, cross-border invasion, or the cynical manipulation of humanitarian narratives. Cambodia will not be silenced.”