Second Army chief warns Cambodian troops: will be fired upon if encroaching on Thai soil
Second Army chief Boonsin warns Cambodian troops of immediate fire if they encroach on Thai soil, citing landmine threats and ceasefire violations.
- Thailand's Second Army commander has authorized soldiers to immediately open fire on any Cambodian troops found encroaching on Thai territory.
- The warning follows a recent incident where Cambodian soldiers were observed conducting surveillance inside Thailand, and an anti-personnel mine was subsequently discovered at their location.
- The commander accused Cambodian forces of repeatedly violating ceasefire conditions by entering Thai soil to plant landmines.
- Thai officials will press Cambodia to stop territorial violations and cooperate on mine clearance at an upcoming Regional Border Committee meeting.
Boonsin authorises immediate retaliation
Second Army Area commander Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang said on Monday that he has authorised Thai soldiers to open fire immediately if they spot Cambodian troops encroaching on Thai territory.
“If they violate our sovereignty, we’ll open fire,” Boonsin said.
He added that Cambodian soldiers had previously intruded as a fast-moving unit, prompting him to issue a clear policy: any incursion or attempt to plant landmines would be met with instant retaliation.
Cambodian troops spotted near Hill 350
Boonsin was responding to reporters’ questions about intelligence reports that Cambodian soldiers from the Bodyguard Headquarters (BHQ) were closely monitoring Thai troop patrols.
On Friday, Thai forces detected Cambodian soldiers conducting surveillance operations inside Thai territory near Hill 350 in Bakdai subdistrict, Phanom Dong Rak district, Surin province. Around 4 pm, Thai soldiers observed two to three Cambodian troops, believed to be from a BHQ unit, wearing black FAST (Future Assault Shell Technology) helmets.
During a subsequent inspection, Thai troops discovered a PMN-2 anti-personnel mine at the location where the Cambodian soldiers had been concealed.
Ceasefire violations and landmine threat
Boonsin accused Cambodian troops of repeatedly violating the ceasefire conditions by sneaking into Thai soil to lay landmines.
“I would like to warn them not to do it again as it is a violation of Thai sovereignty,” he said.
Border committee meeting on August 27
The Second Army commander confirmed that the Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting with Cambodian counterparts would be held on Wednesday, August 27, in Phu Sing district, Si Sa Ket.
He said Thailand would press Cambodia to:
- cooperate in clearing landmines along the border
- refrain from further violations of Thai territory
Boonsin also rejected Cambodia’s reported demand for Thailand to dismantle razor wire barriers in exchange for cooperation on mine clearance, saying razor wires were erected to protect Thai positions and were unrelated to mine-clearing operations.
Heavy weapons and force reduction
Asked whether both sides could agree to withdraw heavy weapons and reduce troop numbers along the border, Boonsin said such decisions would depend on the policies of both governments.
Domestic politics not expected to affect border
When asked if the upcoming Constitutional Court ruling on an audio clip allegedly involving Cambodian leader Hun Sen and the case against suspended PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra could impact border tensions, Boonsin said it should not affect military operations.
“Permanent officials will continue their work, no matter whether the government is dissolved or not. It should have no impact in that case,” he said.
