BORDER DISPUTE
THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL AND AGENCIES
Thailand has officially asked Cambodia to investigate if authorities there have violated legislation banning the use of anti-personnel landmines.
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| Hun Sen: No need for mediators |
Cambodian charge d'affaires Ouk Sophoin was yesterday summoned to meet East Asian Department director-general Anuson Shinwanno to receive an aide-memoire at the ministry.
The aide-memoire refers to the Oct 6 incident in which two Thai soldiers stepped on mines and lost limbs while on a routine patrol deep inside Thai territory to the north of Phu Ma Khua in an area adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple in Si Sa Ket province.
"The Thai government viewed this incident with great alarm, as it indicated a violation of the 1997 Ottawa Convention to Ban Anti-Personnel Landmines as well as a threat to international peace," said the deputy director-general of the Information Department, Thani Tongpakdi.
The Thai Mines Action Centre and other non-governmental organisations found the PMN2-type mines at Phu Ma Khua had been recently planted and the explosion was so powerful that parts of the injured soldiers were blown up to 5-6 metres into the air.
"The mines that were retrieved by the team also appear to be newly-planted as no rust was found on them," said Mr Thani.
"The government wants Cambodian authorities to investigate whether any individual has violated legislation banning the use of anti-personnel landmines."
The Phnom Penh government submitted a report to the United Nations secretary-general in 2002 noting that 240 PMN2-type landmines from a total of 3,405 were transferred from its Interior Ministry to the Cambodian Mine Action Centre for development and training.
Thailand would like the Cambodian government to verify where the remaining mines are.
"Thailand is deeply disappointed that anti-personnel mines are still used in this day and age," said Mr Thani.
Meanwhile, Thailand and Cambodia yesterday failed to agree on holding joint border patrols, as planned.
A working-level meeting of Thai and Cambodian military commanders reached agreement after their soldiers clashed on Wednesday that troops from the two countries would carry out joint border patrols starting yesterday.
Gen Ke Kim Yan, the commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, denied any deal for joint patrols had been reached.
The countries had only agreed to maintain their present troop deployments in the disputed area.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday rejected the offer of help from mediators or international organisations to resolve the dispute.
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