The Thai government’s statement on social media on Wednesday stated that the country’s government had filed a formal protest against Cambodia, claiming that the landmines discovered in the area were newly deployed and had not been encountered during previous patrols.
According to the report, Thailand’s diplomatic ties with Cambodia have declined.
The Thai ambassador’s expulsion plan and the recall of the Thai ambassador have not yet been disclosed to the Thai government.
According to the Pheu Thai Party, the government has also mandated the closure of all border checkpoints that fall under the control of Thailand’s Second Army.
It stated that visitors are strictly forbidden from entering these border regions.
One Cambodian soldier’s death came from a long-running territorial dispute in the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet.
The two parties have exchanged barbs and retaliatory tactics since then.
The Thai soldier was hurt and lost his right leg in the landmine incident on Wednesday, according to the Pheu Thai Party.
Three soldiers were injured when Thailand claimed Cambodia had planted landmines on the Thai side of the disputed border area earlier, but Phnom Penh refuted that claim and claimed the soldiers had veered off agreed routes and had a mine left behind from decades of conflict.
The soldiers were on a patrol on the Thai side of the disputed border area between Ubon Ratchathani and Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Province on July 16 and were reportedly injured by a landmine, with one losing a foot.
The Thai soldiers deviated from agreed patrol routes into Cambodian territory and into areas with unexploded landmines, according to a statement released on Monday from the country’s foreign ministry.
Landmines were dumped throughout the nation during decades of conflict.
The two nations’ relations have been strained by the ongoing border dispute, which has resulted in Cambodia blocking imports of Thai fruit and vegetables as well as fuel and gas.
In Thailand, there is also a political crisis at home, with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra facing a suspended from office as a result of an ethics investigation into her actions during the row.
A leak from the Cambodian side led to a judicial investigation after a diplomatic call between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, the country’s former longtime ruler and former head of Hun Manet.
A long-dormant mandatory draft law was activated last week when Hun Manet announced that Cambodia would begin enlisting civilians next year.
Source: Aljazeera
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