Opinion: The Mine Scenario is Thailand’s “Shooting Oneself in the Foot” Strategy
Opinion: The Mine Scenario is Thailand’s “Shooting Oneself in the Foot” Strategy
Time and again, the Thai side consistently uses the issue of its soldiers stepping on mines as a pretext to accuse Cambodia of laying new mines. The primary objective of the Thai side is to create a facade to tarnish Cambodia’s image on the international stage, aiming to divert attention from its own acts of aggression against Cambodia’s sovereignty, as well as its assault against innocent Khmer civilians.
However, Thailand’s trick is akin to digging a hole to bury itself, or, as the Khmer proverb goes, “shooting oneself in the foot.” Why? Because Thailand’s repetitive actions have clearly shown the world of its malicious intentions.
First: It is widely known that Cambodia is a country that endured nearly three decades of civil war, during which a vast number of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) were scattered in the ground, particularly in areas of intense conflicts, such as those along the Cambodian-Thai border – locations of past battlefields.
Second: After achieving peace through the win-win policy in the late 1990s, Cambodia has made tremendous efforts to clear landmines and UXO, the remnants of war from its territory. Cambodia has been highly active as a state party to the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Anti-Personnel Mines. Over the past few decades, Cambodia has cleared over 4 million landmines and UXO, becoming a global model in mine and Explosive Remnants of War (ERWs) clearance, praised by the United Nations. It is worthy to note that so far, many countries have come to learn from Cambodian demining experiences while the Royal Government of Cambodia has also dispatched Blue Helmet troops and demining experts to assist several countries under the UN Umbrella.
Third: The incidents of Thai soldiers stepping on mines present two possible scenarios: Firstly, if the mine explosion occurs on Thai territory, it is clearly Thailand’s responsibility. If Thailand did not lay the mines itself, such explosions absolutely cannot occur because Thailand has never had any civil war. The accusation that Cambodian soldiers secretly entered to lay mines in Thai territory is utterly implausible, as the Thai military is deployed extensively throughout the areas Thailand claims as its sovereign territory. So, how could Cambodian soldiers possibly sneak in to lay mines on Thai soil? Secondly, if the blast occurs on Cambodian soil, it undoubtedly involves mines left over from past wars, which Thai soldiers trespassed upon and stepped on. This second scenario seems far more plausible, as the Thai military has consistently conducted provocative actions even during the implementation of the ceasefire, such as laying barbed wires and frequently deploying troops instead of maintaining the current status as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.
Fourth: Thailand always displays new mines, claiming they were laid by the Cambodian military. On this point, it should be noted that this is more of a staged performance than genuine reality. Furthermore, whether a mine is new or old cannot serve as a valid reason to put a blame on either party. What matter is: Who laid these mines? For what purpose? Who benefits the most from this? In this sense, is it logical to accuse Cambodia of laying mines when Cambodia only seeks peace? Cambodia wants only peace. Cambodia does everything to avoid armed clashes and is merely defending its own territorial integrity and sovereignty. In contrast, Thailand engages in threatening actions, mobilizes troops, lays barbed wires, fires slingshots as well as real bullets at Cambodian soldiers. All these are provocative acts. Therefore, laying mines to create a pretext, to create a scenario for war with Cambodia, and to slander Cambodia, is a more logical conclusion.
To sum up, the repeated mine explosions and the exaggeration of the mine issue to blame Cambodia are widely seen as a scenario orchestrated by Thailand to create pretexts and tarnish Cambodia’s international reputation. This is the only case where Thailand believes it can gain an upper hand over Cambodia on the international stage. However, this is a major miscalculation by the Thai side, as this matter is not difficult to understand for analysts and those closely monitoring Cambodian-Thai issues. Let us not forget that while orchestrating scenarios to damage Cambodia’s reputation, Thailand itself demonstrates evidence daily that it is the party to provoke war, the provocateur and the violator of the ceasefire as well as the joint peace declaration, through the words and actions of both its military and civilian officials, and the daily propaganda of the Thai news media. This evidence is clearly recorded by the international community and is what makes Thailand’s scenario a “shooting oneself in the foot” strategy.
By Vong Makara
Professor and Social and Political Analyst
