BANGKOK, Thailand – The Royal Thai Army has rejected Cambodian claims that Thai forces struck civilian sites during recent border clashes, insisting its military operations targeted only legitimate military objectives. The response came after Cambodia hosted a delegation of foreign military attachés at locations it alleges were damaged by Thai MK-84 bombs and artillery, including homes, a school, and a health station in Oddar Meanchey Province.
According to the Thai Army, its strikes were conducted with precision and in accordance with international standards, ensuring weapons were used solely against military positions. Army spokesperson Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said Cambodian claims misrepresent the facts and fail to acknowledge Thailand’s adherence to lawful targeting practices.
Thai officials allege that, in contrast, Cambodian forces have repeatedly attacked civilian areas in Thailand, sometimes located as far as 30 kilometers from the combat zone. Authorities have documented around 100 such incidents, involving both detonated and unexploded ordnance, as evidence of deliberate strikes on civilian targets.
Maj Gen Winthai also addressed Cambodia’s decision to take foreign attachés to Ta Muen San Chey Temple, a site it claims shows damage from Thai strikes. He said the location, just 1.8 kilometers from the border, was an active military zone during the conflict. Cambodian troops were stationed there, using the site as a staging area for assaults and as a command-and-control center.
Because the temple area was occupied and used by military forces, Thai officials maintain it was a lawful target under the rules of armed conflict. They stressed that during hostilities, no civilians were present at the site, and any casualties would have been Cambodian soldiers.
The Thai Army said Cambodia’s portrayal of events risks obscuring the documented record of Cambodian attacks on Thai civilians, and it urged accurate reporting of the conflict to prevent misleading the international community. (NNT)
