A newly planted anti-tank mine of unknown type was discovered in a border area in Khok Sung district of Sa Kaeo province on Saturday afternoon, according to the Thai army.
An army explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team using an armoured bulldozer reported the discovery at Ban Nong Ya Kaeo at about 2pm. The mine appeared to have been recently placed, and officials suspected it may have been planted by groups or individuals from across the Cambodian border.
As mine clearance operations continued, Thai and Cambodian people gathered in two border areas in Ban Nong Ya Kaeo and Ban Nong Chan. At the latter, around 200 Thai civilians, vendors and reporters were assembled.
At 10am, activist Veera Somkwamkid led a patriotic demonstration with local residents, emphasising the need to protect Thailand’s sovereignty.
He reiterated his view that Cambodian settlers must withdraw from disputed areas, saying he would give Thai authorities until Oct 31 to take action.
A deadline of Oct 10, set earlier by the governor of Sa Kaeo, passed without any evictions from the two border communities taking place.
Thailand allowed Cambodian refugees to take shelter in the two communities while fleeing massacres during the Cambodian civil war over four decades ago. Dozens of families from Cambodia have since settled there permanently. (Story continues below)
The Gun Jompalang Foundation, led by social media activist Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet, alias ‘Gun Jompalang’, provided shipping containers to the Burapha Task Force for military logistical use.
On Friday night Mr Guntouch played recordings of howling dogs at high volume, reportedly to intimidate Cambodian people into leaving. He was also responsible for bringing 14 septic tankers to the area in August and threatening to spray their contents at Cambodian protesters on the opposite side of a barbed wire barrier.
Across the border, about 30 to 40 Cambodian civilians, soldiers, police officers and reporters were seen monitoring Thai activities.
The situation remained calm, while Thai security forces continued to maintain a defensive posture and follow graduated response measures. (Story continues below)
At Ban Nong Ya Kaeo, a smaller number of Thai civilians were present, with no significant incidents reported. On the Cambodian side, however, about 150 civilians and reporters gathered near the barbed-wire fence and around Prey Chan village.
Witnesses said that Cambodian soldiers, police and officials facilitated activities aimed at mobilising the public and urging the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers detained in Thailand since the five-day conflict in late July.
Thailand has maintained that it has the right under international law to hold the Cambodians as prisoners of war. They are being treated well and will be repatriated only once hostilities have fully ended and a permanent ceasefire is in place, the army has said.
Three mines found
Security forces on Saturday also confirmed the discovery of three live PMN anti-personnel mines near Ban Nong Ya Kaeo, according to the Sa Kaeo Public Relations Office.
It quoted Col Chainarong Kasi, commander of Task Force 12, as saying EOD teams successfully neutralised and secured the devices without incident.
Thai forces have deployed additional security measures in the area. Seven EOD teams, equipped with detection tools and an armoured D5 clearance vehicle, are conducting systematic searches for remaining landmines and unexploded devices.
The clearance operation is expected to take three to four more days to ensure the entire area is safe, the army said. (Story continues below)
Two key missions
The First Army Region said on Saturday that troops from several units under the Burapha Task Force have been carrying out two key missions aimed at enhancing safety and promoting accurate understanding along the border.
The first mission focused on inspecting and clearing unexploded ordnance in two main sites in Aranyaprathet and Khok Sung districts following complaints by residents that they were unable to access their land.
The team conducted drone surveys and prepared detailed data for demining operations, restoring more than 38,000 square metres of safe land for residents with proper Sor Kor 1 and Nor Sor 2 land titles.
The second mission involved providing transparency to international media. Lt Col Nitithep Baramee, chief of staff of the Burapha Task Fore, led reporters from Deutsche Welle of Germany and Nikkei of Japan to five border villages and the Khlong Luek permanent border checkpoint.
The visit allowed reporters to observe the situation on the ground and confirmed that Thai operations were strictly adhering to peaceful principles while upholding national sovereignty, according to a statement from the First Army Region.