Army to raise landmine incident at global forums, citing Ottawa Treaty breach
Thai Army is gathering evidence after a soldier was seriously injured by a landmine in Si Sa Ket, saying it clearly violates the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines
On December 29, 2025, Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, the Army spokesperson, said the 2nd Army Area reported that a mine-clearance team from the 8th Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division stepped on an anti-personnel mine while conducting a security mission in the Khao Satta Som area of Kantharalak district, Si Sa Ket.
He said Staff Sgt Sujin Chitkriyan suffered severe injuries and was given immediate first aid before being transferred to Surin Hospital for treatment.
Winthai said preliminary assessments suggest there may be many more mines in the area, particularly in zones Thai forces took control of before the ceasefire was announced. He said clearance efforts are continuing but remain difficult due to the high-risk terrain.
He said the incident site is being examined and evidence is being gathered. The Army will submit all information to the Foreign Ministry for official briefing to the international community, describing it as a clear breach of the Ottawa Convention. The Army will also report the matter to the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) for verification under the ceasefire framework.
The Army said evidence from landmine cases indicates Cambodian forces continue to use anti-personnel mines, which it said is a serious violation of international obligations and runs counter to universal humanitarian principles.
