Cambodia Expresses Deep Regret Over Thailand’s Serious Violations of the Ottawa Convention and the Spirit of Cooperation Among States Parties
Cambodia Expresses Deep Regret Over Thailand’s Serious Violations of the Ottawa Convention and the Spirit of Cooperation Among States Parties
Geneva, Switzerland, 3 December 2025 — His Excellency Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and First Vice President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), expressed profound regret over Thailand’s serious violations of the principles of the Ottawa Convention and the spirit of cooperation among its States Parties. His remarks were delivered as Cambodia led the side event titled “Strengthening International Cooperation Through Capacity Development for a Mine-Free World”, held on 3 December 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.
In his opening address, Senior Minister Ly Thuch underlined that through strong cooperation and support from friendly countries, development partners, and the international community, Cambodia has transformed itself from one of the world’s most heavily mine-affected countries into a leading nation in mine action. Cambodia has also become a key partner in assisting other mine-affected countries in addressing the deadly legacy of landmines and explosive remnants of war.
He emphasized that Cambodia’s efforts to support other affected nations stem from its own deep understanding of the pain and hardship caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war. Cambodia firmly believes that only through cooperation and joint commitment can the humanitarian goals of the Ottawa Convention be achieved.
Senior Minister Ly Thuch also highlighted the situation along the border areas, underscoring Thailand’s recent attempts to exploit a landmine incident as a basis for making unfounded, baseless, and unverified accusations against Cambodia. He stressed that such actions appear intended to justify aggressive incursions into Cambodian territory, actions that have endangered and harmed Cambodian civilians living along the border.
He reiterated Cambodia’s deep regret regarding Thailand’s grave violations of the principles of the Ottawa Convention and the cooperative spirit expected of its States Parties. Senior Minister Ly Thuch reaffirmed Cambodia’s firm commitment to cooperation and its readiness to continue engaging through existing mechanisms to resolve issues peacefully, while safeguarding peace, stability, and the security of the people.
The side event discussions focused on the critical importance of capacity development to enhance the implementation of Article 5 of the Ottawa Convention, the benefits of international cooperation, effective models of cooperation, and the promotion of partnerships to achieve the shared vision of a mine-free world.
The event featured interventions from key international organizations and States Parties to the Convention, including the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), the National Mine Action Authority of Colombia, the Japanese Ministry of Defense, and the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC).
