Thailand will strike any imminent threat, anywhere: Thai general tells Hun Sen
Thai general says operations are strictly in self-defence and accuses Cambodia of hiding troops among civilians, warning that threatening long-range weapons will be destroyed.
- A Thai general warned that Thailand will neutralize any verified imminent threat based on the principle of self-defense.
- The general accused Cambodia of embedding military bases and weapons within civilian homes, effectively using its population as human shields.
- The warning specifies that threats will be eliminated regardless of their location, even if they are positioned in a civilian house or near the capital, Phnom Penh.
Lt Gen Wanchana Sawasdee, an Adviser at the National Defence Studies Institute under the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, posted on Facebook on Thursday (December 11), stating that
Message to Hun Sen, father of Hun Manet
1. An analysis of the terrain along the line of contact shows that the Thai side consists of forests and mountainous areas, which naturally places Thai military bases within forested terrain. In contrast, the Cambodian side has deliberately built civilian houses right next to the border. As a result, Cambodian military bases are embedded within civilian homes and buildings, using them as firing positions and weapons-control centres, effectively using civilians as human shields.
2. Based on Point 1, Thailand’s military operations are grounded in the principle of self-defence. When there is clear and verified evidence of an imminent threat, we are obligated to neutralise that threat.
3. From Point 2, this means that if an imminent threat is positioned at anyone’s house, that threat will be neutralised regardless of where it is located.
4. Regarding Point 3, Cambodia’s long-range weapons were previously positioned to protect Hun Sen in Phnom Penh. If credible intelligence indicates that such weapons present an imminent threat, we will destroy them.
5. From Point 4, because Hun Sen prioritises his own safety above all else, he has no choice but to move those long-range weapons farther away from himself.
6. From Point 5, Hun Sen is currently cornered by both internal and external crises that are shaking the foundations of his power.
7. As stated in Point 6, we therefore do not see foreign patrons stepping forward strongly to defend Cambodia as they did in the past.
8. From Point 7, any country that openly defends Cambodia at this moment would appear to be supporting a scammer.
9. From Point 8, Hun Sen is being pushed into behaving like a cornered animal, resorting to his old, dirty methods, launching long-range attacks that deliberately harm innocent Thai civilians while attempting to claim that he is striking Thai military positions.
10. From Point 9, Cambodia cannot make such claims because the Thai military does not use civilians as human shields. Our operations are conducted with the honour and professional standards of soldiers, as established in Point 1.
