BANGKOK, Thailand – The Thailand–Cambodia Situation Information Center has issued a comprehensive rebuttal to a report circulated on The New York Editorial Facebook page, alleging that Thailand violated international law and used excessive force along the border. The center said the report lacked verifiable sources, contained factual distortions, and relied on a one-sided narrative originating from Cambodia.
In its clarification, Thailand rejected accusations that it escalated tensions for political purposes or acted outside international legal frameworks. Authorities said military operations were conducted in accordance with established rules of engagement and constituted a lawful exercise of the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The center also dismissed claims that the border situation was being used to influence elections in Bangkok.
Addressing allegations of disproportionate force, officials said Thai actions were not a response to a single landmine incident but followed the use of heavy weapons by Cambodian forces against Thai military positions and civilian areas. Thailand stated that F-16 aircraft were deployed to counter military threats and that operations were confined to legitimate military targets in accordance with the principle of proportionality.
The center also rejected claims that Thailand used cluster munitions or chemical weapons against civilians. It said 155 mm dual-purpose improved conventional munitions were directed solely at military equipment and installations and that Thailand is not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Authorities attributed the reported death of a Cambodian child to an accident involving old explosive remnants being dismantled for scrap outside the combat zone. The statement further charged Cambodia with placing heavy weapons near the Preah Vihear Temple site, affecting its protected status under international conventions.
Other allegations, including claims of psychological warfare and reports that nearly 98,000 Cambodians had been displaced, were described as inaccurate. The center said sound broadcasts referenced in the report were carried out by civilians rather than state authorities and disputed the displacement figures, stating that border villages in question contain far fewer residents. Thailand maintained that Cambodia initiated hostilities and that its response adhered to international principles while seeking to limit harm to civilians and protect national sovereignty. (NNT)
