Thai army chief declares halt to peace accord implementation due to Cambodia’s hostility
Thai army chief halts implementation of peace accord with Cambodia after a mine blast in Si Sa Ket injured four soldiers, citing continued hostility.
Royal Thai Army (RTA) commander-in-chief Gen Pana Klaewplodthuk on Tuesday announced a halt to the implementation of the Thai-Cambodian joint declaration on peace rebuilding after four Thai troops were injured by a mine blast in Si Sa Ket on Monday.
Pana stated on the RTA’s Facebook page that the incident clearly proved Cambodia’s hostility still existed, prompting the RTA to suspend all agreements under the joint declaration signed by the prime ministers of both countries last month.
“The truth has clearly appeared that the hostile gesture still exists. The Royal Thai Army must suspend all agreements to preserve our right to defend ourselves against unfair attacks,” Pana declared.
The announcement followed a similar statement from the Royal Thai Air Force on Monday, which declared the suspension of all bilateral agreements with Cambodia following the mine blast.
On Monday morning, a Thai soldier lost his right ankle after stepping on a landmine while patrolling on Thai soil in Si Sa Ket. Initially, it was reported that two troops were injured, but on Tuesday RTA spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree confirmed that four soldiers were hurt, including the one who lost his ankle.
The blast also led to the suspension of the release of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war and prompted Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to suspend the joint declaration he signed with his Cambodian counterpart in Malaysia on October 26.
