Cambodia, through the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), has submitted an urgent communication to a global munitions watchdog to draw its attention to Thailand’s unlawful use of cluster munitions on Cambodian territory.
In a July 28 letter to Carlos D. Sorreta, president of the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the CMAA explained that on July 24, Thai armed forces launched “coordinated and premeditated attacks” on Cambodian military positions in the provinces of Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey, including at Ta Mone Thom Temple, Ta Krabey Temple and Mom Bei.
The situation escalated further on the morning of July 25, it said, when Thai military units deployed cluster munitions, an internationally condemned weapon, within Cambodian territory.
“At 5.25am on July 25, the first wave of submunitions was launched on Phnom Khmoach (Ghost Mountain) in Preah Vihear province. A second barrage followed at 6.55am, targeting Techo Thammachart village in Choam Ksant district. These deliberate strikes constitute a gross violation of humanitarian principles, threaten civilian lives and inflict long-term suffering on affected communities,” added the CMAA.
It reiterated the past suffering of Cambodia due to the legacy of cluster munitions, with millions of submunitions dropped on the kingdom’s territory during past conflicts. Their deadly remnants continue to maim and kill innocent civilians to this day.
“The renewed use of such weapons on Cambodian soil is unconscionable and must be met with firm international condemnation,” it said.
Cambodia is not a state party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but has consistently supported its humanitarian principles and is actively working to clear its territory of these weapons.
“We call upon the CCM, its state parties and all relevant international actors to take urgent notice of Thailand’s unlawful actions and to uphold the international norms against the use of cluster munitions.
“We welcome the deployment of impartial observers to document and assess the full impact of these aggressions. Cambodia remains committed to peace, but we will not compromise on our sovereignty, nor remain silent in the face of deliberate acts of violence against our people and land,” added the CMAA.
