The Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC) has called for their Swedish counterparts to oppose the sale of Swedish company Saab’s Gripen warplanes to Thailand. The same family of fighter jets were used for the first time ever in combat, when the Thai air force deployed them against Cambodia during the July 24-28 border clashes.
In an August 28 letter to Fredrik Malmberg, director of the Swedish Institute for Human Rights, CHRC president Keo Remy shared his appreciation for Sweden’s support for Cambodia in past decades, and noted that he regarded Sweden as a champion of human rights, democracy and peace.
Despite this, he conveyed Cambodia’s concerns regarding sale of the Gripen (E/F) fighter jets to Thailand, saying that the sale will not only undermine peace and security but also pose the grave risk of the aircraft being used in acts of aggression against Cambodia, placing civilians in danger and threatening national sovereignty.
“As you are aware, there have been past instances where Thai military aircraft were deployed in ways that harmed Cambodian civilians. Authorising such transfers today risks further enabling Thai military forces to repeat that history,” Remy said.
Earlier this week, Thailand signed an agreement to purchase an additional four Gripen E/F aircraft, at a cost of over half billion dollars.
According to Remy, states are called upon to avoid actions that may indirectly facilitate aggression or undermine regional peace, as outlined by the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions and other international laws.
“In this context, Sweden’s defence partnership with Thailand risks being perceived not as neutral commerce but as an enabling act that may embolden military escalation and acts of aggression from Thailand that result in human suffering,” he said.
He added that Sweden must ensure that its arms trade policies are not guided by economic considerations alone, but by a genuine commitment to human rights, peace and the prevention of suffering.
“We respectfully request that the Swedish Institute for Human Rights strongly oppose the sale of Gripen (E/F) fighter jets to Thailand under the present circumstances, urge the Swedish Government to review and reconsider the sale, including conducting a transparent and thorough human rights-based risk assessment, in line with the relevant obligations defined under international law,” he said.
He also urged Malmberg to support peaceful mechanisms to resolve the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute without further military escalation. He noted that refraining from arming aggressors is not just a matter of international law, but also a matter of conscience.
“The CHRC also takes this opportunity to request your institute’s support in calling for the immediate and unconditional release and repatriation of the 18 Cambodian soldiers currently held in Thai custody, who were unlawfully captured by Thai military forces,” he added.
