THE Thai army this morning (Nov. 11} terminated all agreements with Cambodia as hostilities persist with this seen by some soldiers getting injured after one of them stepped on a landmine at a regularly patrolled route in Huai Ta Maria area of Kantharalak district, Sisaket province, yesterday, Naewna newspaper said.
Army Chief Gen. Pana Khlaeoplotthuk said, “The truth has clearly emerged that hostile attitudes persist. The Royal Thai Army must terminate all agreements to preserve its right to self-defence from unfair treatment.”
Meanwhile Defence Minister Gen. Nattapol Nakphanit early this morning refuted Cambodia’s claim that the landmine which a Thai soldier stepped on yesterday was an old one telling reporters, “Why do you listen to Cambodia? Listen to me.”
When asked if the Thai army would take action immediately if landmines found at this spot were new, Gen. Natthapol replied, “They’re new,” and then immediately went into a Government House building to attend a National Security Council meeting.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issued a statement expressing deep concern over media reports quoting Thai leaders as saying Thailand is suspending the Joint Declaration between the Prime Minister of Cambodia and the Prime Minister of Thailand which was signed and witnessed by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibahim on Oct. 26.
Cambodia denied Thailand’s position that these are newly-laid landmines pointing out that most mines along the border are from the Cambodian civil war of the 1970s and 1980s that have yet to be cleared due difficult terrain and the undefined frontier.
Meanwhile Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvari, the army’s spokesperson, identified the four soldiers who got injured in the landmine explosion as follows:
1/ Sgt. Maj. Thedsak Samapong was seriously injured with his right ankle severed;
2/ Pvt. Wachira Panthana suffered from chest pain from the force of blast;
3/ Pvt. Apirak Srichomchai was hit in the leg with shrapnel;
4/ Pvt. Anucha Sujaree suffered eye irritation from dust or chemicals spread by the blast.
All four are currently receiving medical treatment at a local hospital.
At 3.50 p.m. another team of soldiers along with the 3rd National Security Operations Command search team, forensic police from Sisaket province, and officers from Bueng Malu police station, went to investigate the scene of the blast and the following details were discovered:
1/ A crater measuring 55cm in diameter and 18cm deep;
2/ Fragments of PMN-2 mines were found in this crater and surrounding area;
3/ Three more PMN-2 mines, each placed approximately one metre away from the crater, were also found.
This evidence shows that new mines were planted in Thai territory after the barbed wire was removed at a regularly patrolled route, Maj. Gen. Winthai said.
CAPTIONS:
Top, below and Front Page – The site of yesterday’s landmine blast.
Insert – Army Chief Gen. Pana Khlaeoplotthuk. All photos – Naewna
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National Security Council meeting on Thai-Khmer peace accord tomorrow: PM
