Phnom Penh, Dec 25: Cambodia on Wednesday accused the Thai military of using fighter jets to drop cluster bombs in Banteay Meanchey province, an allegation rejected by Thailand, which said the munitions were used exclusively against military objectives.
In a press release, Cambodia’s Ministry of Defence also claimed that Thai fighter jets dropped four bombs in civilian areas of Battambang province, according to a report by Xinhua News Agency.
The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority on Tuesday expressed grave concern over reports of Thailand’s alleged use of cluster munitions and toxic gas in or near civilian areas.
Responding to the accusations, Royal Thai Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said the weapons Cambodia described as cluster bombs were deployed solely against military targets and were not designed to harm civilians.
Winthai also noted that the Convention on Cluster Munitions which bans the use, production and stockpiling of such weapons is not legally binding on either country, as neither Thailand nor Cambodia is a signatory to the treaty.
Earlier, a Cambodian defence spokesperson said Thai forces continued to use artillery and tank-mounted machine guns to fire at multiple targets inside Cambodian territory.
“The Thai military attacked locations where Cambodian civilians were residing, resulting in 21 civilian deaths, including one infant, and injuries to 83 others as of 6 pm on December 22,” Defence Ministry Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said at a press briefing.
The Cambodia–Thailand border conflict has flared up again since December 7, with both sides accusing each other of initiating hostilities.
According to the latest figures from Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, the fighting has forced around 545,000 people to flee their homes and seek shelter in safer areas.