Mine Action Center Condemns Illegal Laying of Mines in Chong Bok

Bangkok: The National Mine Action Center issued a statement condemning the illegal planting of mines in the Chong Bok area, a sovereign Thai area, which resulted in three Thai soldiers being injured, and calling on Cambodia to clearly and concretely show responsibility for the incident and for the Cambodian side to stop obstructing the Thai mine clearance mission along the border. According to Thai News Agency, the National Mine Action Center expresses its deepest concern over the incident that occurred on 16 July 2025, in which it was discovered that there was an illegal operation to lay mines and kill people in the area along the Thai-Cambodian border at Chong Bok, Nam Yuen District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, which is a sovereign area of Thailand. The incident resulted in 3 Thai military personnel being injured, one of whom was severely injured to the point of losing a limb and becoming permanently disabled. An examination by an explosives expert found that the mines used were new anti-personnel mines th at had just been laid, arranged in a minefield and scattered in several locations along the border in Thai sovereignty. These anti-personnel mines are clearly not part of the Thai military's equipment system and are intended to cause harm to personnel, including officers on missions in the area, and also significantly affect the safety of nearby residents. The National Mine Action Center strongly condemns such actions and expresses its resolute opposition to any actions that may be considered as violating the obligations and norms of the Mine Ban Treaty (Ottawa Convention), especially considering that both the Kingdom of Thailand and the Kingdom of Cambodia are parties to this Convention. The center calls on the Kingdom of Cambodia to clearly and concretely take responsibility for the incident, conduct a thorough investigation of the facts, take legal action against those involved, and take concrete measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future. Additionally, the center calls on th e Cambodian side to stop obstructing the Thai side's mine clearance missions along the border and to cooperate seriously in humanitarian mine clearance operations. This cooperation aims to build confidence, safety, and security for the people of both countries and to demonstrate shared responsibility as parties to the Ottawa Convention, which promotes peace and security and reduces the effects of indiscriminate weapons on civilians.