The Thai government has authorised full military operations as needed to defend national sovereignty after halting all activity related to a US-backed peace accord with Cambodia, following a new landmine blast that injured four Thai soldiers.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday in response to the explosion that occurred on Monday in the northeastern province of Si Sa Ket.
Participants discussed three principal issues, Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit said after the meeting.
The government reaffirmed its position that the presence of landmines in Thai territory constitutes a violation of the law and directly affects Thailand’s sovereignty.
Gen Nattaphon said the government would protect the kingdom’s sovereignty, as well as the lives of Thai citizens and military personnel, to the utmost of its ability.
The council also resolved to suspend all provisions of the previously signed joint peace declaration and to further delay the transfer of 18 Cambodian soldiers currently detained by Thai authorities until further notice, he said.
Asked whether Thailand could still expect Cambodia to act in good faith, Gen Nattaphon said the Thai military had never had any such expectation.
“We will now focus solely on actions within Thailand’s sovereign territory,” he said.
Security already tightened
Asked whether security measures would be further tightened, the minister replied, “They already have been. Since the suspension of the declaration, military operations within Thai sovereign territory have been elevated. However, details of these operations cannot be disclosed.”
When questioned about measures to address the situation in border areas — particularly reports that barbed-wire fences had been dismantled and landmines secretly placed on the Thai side, Gen Nattaphon declined to provide details.
He said only that “rules of engagement are in place” and that any intrusions would be met according to established protocols, escalating from verbal warnings to the use of light and, if necessary, heavier weaponry.
“Rest assured,” he added, “that subsequent military operations have the full approval of the NSC and will be conducted in accordance with the situation”.
Asked whether there would be further negotiations with Cambodia, Gen Nattaphon was unequivocal: “No. From my side and from the Ministry of Defence, there will be none.
“The General Border Committee (GBC) process is now suspended. Any future communication will proceed only through international diplomatic mechanisms.”
Mr Anutin said the Thai-Cambodian joint declaration, signed last month amid great fanfare and with US President Donald Trump looking on, “will remain suspended until the Thai armed forces are satisfied that hostility from (the other) side no longer exists”.
No legal fallout
Pakorn Nilprapunt, secretary-general of the Council of State, the government’s legal adviser, said the decision to suspend the joint declaration with Cambodia would have no legal consequences.
“In fact, this declaration is not a legally binding instrument,” he said. “It pertains purely to diplomatic relations — a matter of mutual respect between nations.
“If one side adheres to it, the other does so out of courtesy. However, if either party lacks sincerity in upholding it, the issue can simply be discussed again. It is nothing serious, as it is not a formal treaty.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, who was also at the NSC meeting, said Monday’s landmine incident constituted a violation of the joint declaration.
“Our position is to suspend the implementation of the declaration. However, activities carried out unilaterally by Thailand — such as landmine clearance operations — will continue as planned,” he said.
Thailand will submit protest letters to Cambodia, Japan, the UN, the US and Malaysia over the latest landmine incident, said Nikorndej Balankura, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said Thailand is seeking accountability, evidence-based investigation and respect for bilateral agreements to prevent future border conflicts.