Opinion: Thailand’s Army Manufactures Lies to Justify Ceasefire Violation and War
Opinion: Thailand’s Army Manufactures Lies to Justify Ceasefire Violation and War
The statement made by Lieutenant General Boonsin Phadklang, Commander of Thailand’s Second Army Region, on August 12 was more than reckless — it was a dangerous fabrication designed to ignite conflict. His claim that Cambodia “secretly planted landmines” after troop withdrawal is not supported by evidence, yet it is already being weaponised as a pretext for military aggression. This is not the language of peace. This is the language of war.
The commander’s narrative is riddled with contradictions. If the incident truly took place deep inside Thai territory, as claimed, then the Thai military bears full responsibility for the safety of its own patrols. To allege that Cambodian forces would infiltrate Thai-controlled zones to plant new mines — while Cambodia has actively engaged in internationally recognised demining operations for decades — is an insult to the intelligence of the international community. The truth is that large sections of the Thai border remain contaminated with old minefields from their own Cold War–era deployments, a fact the Thai army prefers to hide behind a curtain of accusations.
And let us be clear: Boonsin did not merely voice “concerns”. He issued an explicit threat — promising “retaliation” and “countermeasures”, even before any impartial investigation. He openly signalled that military action could replace diplomacy. This is a calculated attempt to dismantle the ceasefire and drag the border back into confrontation.
But the deeper question is this: Where is the Thai government in all of this? Why is it always army generals — not elected leaders — who dictate Thailand’s stance toward Cambodia? Time and again, Thailand’s foreign policy toward its neighbour has been hijacked by the military, sidelining civilian authority. This pattern reveals an ugly truth: in Thailand, the army is not just a defender of the state — it is the state. And when generals control the trigger, it is civilians who pay the price in lives, homes and livelihoods.
For years, the Thai military has provoked border tensions to rally nationalist sentiment at home, regardless of the human cost. They have turned international embarrassment into a weapon, showing no shame in spreading misinformation to the world. But no amount of propaganda can erase the truth — that it is Thailand’s military, not Cambodia, that is driving us toward another tragedy.
Cambodia will not be baited into armed conflict. We uphold the ceasefire, honour dialogue and reject fabricated narratives. Should the Thai military choose to shatter peace based on falsehoods, the world will unmistakably recognise who bears the moral and legal responsibility for the destruction that follows. If hostilities resume, it will be Thailand that ignites the conflict — just as it did on July 24, when the world witnessed firsthand who broke the peace.
Roth Santepheap is a geopolitical analyst based in Phnom Penh. The views and opinions expressed are his own.
