ISRIA
On 17 October 2008, Mr. Anuson Chinvanno, Director-General of the Department of East Asian Affairs, met with Mr. Mr. Ouk Sophoin, Cambodian Charge d'Affaires to Thailand, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and presented the latter with an Aide-Memoire regarding the incident on 6 October 2008, during which two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines and lost their legs during a routine patrol inside Thai territory. The gist of the Aide-Memoire can be summarized as follows:
The Royal Thai Government views the said landmine incident with great alarm, as it indicates violation of the Convention on the Prohibition on the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction of 1997, known as the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention, as well as a threat to international peace.
Royal Thai Government wishes to strongly emphasize that the de-mining operation undertaken by Thai Mines Action Center (TMAC) and other NGOs on 13 October 2008 in the area adjacent to the Temple of Phra Viharn, was conducted within Thai territory. The PMN2-type mines that were found at Phu Ma Khua by TMAC and other NGOs are newly-planted.
The Royal Thai Government urges the Cambodian authorities concerned to investigate whether any individual within Cambodia's jurisdiction has violated legislation to ban the use of anti-personnel landmines. The Royal Thai Government wishes to point out that according to Cambodia's 2005 transparency report submitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations under Article 7 of the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention, Cambodia reported that in 2002, 240 PMN2-type landmines out of a total of 3,405 were transferred from the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia to Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) for development and training. The Royal Thai Government wishes to urge the Cambodian authorities concerned to verify as to where the remaining of the PMN-2 anti-personnel mines are so as to justify the Cambodian statement that Cambodia has no stock of mines.
The Royal Thai Government regards this development with grave concern, as the incident marked a serious violation of the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention by a state which is also a State Party to the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention. Thailand is deeply disappointed that anti-personnel landmines are still used in this day and age. It is also truly disheartening that a fellow State Party to the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention who fully understands the dreadful effects of landmines could still carry out such an act.
With regard to the provision under Article 8 of the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention, there are measures that can be taken by Thailand, and Thailand reserves her right to carry out such measures. However, in order to achieve the goal set fourth in the Convention and as Cambodia and Thailand are State Parties to the Convention, Thailand is therefore ready to consult and cooperate with the Royal Government of Cambodia to resolve our existing differences. Thailand remains committed to resolving our neighbourly issues peacefully through bilateral consultations under the many frameworks already in place.
Regarding bilateral talks, the Director-General also informed the Charge d Affaires that the Cabinet should be able to appoint the new Thai Chairman of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) next week. It was also expected that at its meeting on 22 October 2008, the House of Representatives would consider the negotiating framework on the provisional arrangement between Thailand and Cambodia, which would pave the way for further talks between both countries.
On 17 October 2008, Mr. Anuson Chinvanno, Director-General of the Department of East Asian Affairs, met with Mr. Mr. Ouk Sophoin, Cambodian Charge d'Affaires to Thailand, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and presented the latter with an Aide-Memoire regarding the incident on 6 October 2008, during which two Thai soldiers stepped on landmines and lost their legs during a routine patrol inside Thai territory. The gist of the Aide-Memoire can be summarized as follows:
The Royal Thai Government views the said landmine incident with great alarm, as it indicates violation of the Convention on the Prohibition on the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction of 1997, known as the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention, as well as a threat to international peace.
Royal Thai Government wishes to strongly emphasize that the de-mining operation undertaken by Thai Mines Action Center (TMAC) and other NGOs on 13 October 2008 in the area adjacent to the Temple of Phra Viharn, was conducted within Thai territory. The PMN2-type mines that were found at Phu Ma Khua by TMAC and other NGOs are newly-planted.
The Royal Thai Government urges the Cambodian authorities concerned to investigate whether any individual within Cambodia's jurisdiction has violated legislation to ban the use of anti-personnel landmines. The Royal Thai Government wishes to point out that according to Cambodia's 2005 transparency report submitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations under Article 7 of the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention, Cambodia reported that in 2002, 240 PMN2-type landmines out of a total of 3,405 were transferred from the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia to Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) for development and training. The Royal Thai Government wishes to urge the Cambodian authorities concerned to verify as to where the remaining of the PMN-2 anti-personnel mines are so as to justify the Cambodian statement that Cambodia has no stock of mines.
The Royal Thai Government regards this development with grave concern, as the incident marked a serious violation of the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention by a state which is also a State Party to the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention. Thailand is deeply disappointed that anti-personnel landmines are still used in this day and age. It is also truly disheartening that a fellow State Party to the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention who fully understands the dreadful effects of landmines could still carry out such an act.
With regard to the provision under Article 8 of the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention, there are measures that can be taken by Thailand, and Thailand reserves her right to carry out such measures. However, in order to achieve the goal set fourth in the Convention and as Cambodia and Thailand are State Parties to the Convention, Thailand is therefore ready to consult and cooperate with the Royal Government of Cambodia to resolve our existing differences. Thailand remains committed to resolving our neighbourly issues peacefully through bilateral consultations under the many frameworks already in place.
Regarding bilateral talks, the Director-General also informed the Charge d Affaires that the Cabinet should be able to appoint the new Thai Chairman of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary (JBC) next week. It was also expected that at its meeting on 22 October 2008, the House of Representatives would consider the negotiating framework on the provisional arrangement between Thailand and Cambodia, which would pave the way for further talks between both countries.
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