Thai Army Alleges Cambodia Orchestrated Border Shootings to Discredit Bangkok
RTA claims attacks timed to ASEAN observer visit were staged to portray Thailand as aggressor
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has asserted that a series of sudden shootings at the Chong An Ma pass in Ubon Ratchathani were deliberately orchestrated by Cambodian forces to frame Thailand before a scheduled visit by an ASEAN observer team.
According to the RTA, the sequence of attacks, media statements, and observer scheduling align too precisely to be coincidental.
RTA spokesman Major General Winthai Suvaree detailed the alleged provocations as follows: at 12:10 pm, Cambodian troops opened fire using heavy machine guns on Hill 527 in three volleys of five rounds each; Thai forces responded.
Six minutes later, Cambodian troops fired rifles at Hill 600, prompting further retaliation.
From 12:23 to 12:35 pm, Cambodian units launched three unspecified rounds plus eleven mortar rounds from Chong An Ma toward unknown positions.
At 1:00 pm, Cambodia announced that the ASEAN Interim Observer Team (IOT) would visit Chong An Ma that afternoon.
Precisely at 1:15 pm, Cambodia’s Defence Ministry spokeswoman held a press conference accusing Thailand of aggression, and at that same time, Cambodia’s Senate president posted similar allegations online.
By 1:30 pm, gunfire ceased and both militaries remained facing off.
Winthai argued that the alignment of those events — the attacks, the press conference, and the observer visit — was designed to capture video evidence of Thai troops firing back and create the appearance of Thai aggression.
He urged the IOT to investigate these incidents thoroughly.
Further, the RTA claimed that Cambodian forces have repeatedly incursed across the border to plant landmines, causing injuries to Thai soldiers.
The army insisted such acts violate the ceasefire agreement and demanded that the observer team probe the mine incidents as serious violations of the peace accord.
These assertions come amid ongoing border tensions following a ceasefire brokered in July that has repeatedly come under strain.
The Thai military’s public posture underscores Bangkok’s insistence that it acts in self-defence and will not tolerate maneuvering aimed at undermining its territorial integrity.
As cross-border incidents continue to draw regional attention, Thailand’s military leadership is pressing ASEAN and third-party monitors to validate its claims.
The integrity of the ceasefire hangs in the balance, and independent verification may prove crucial to preventing further escalation.
According to the RTA, the sequence of attacks, media statements, and observer scheduling align too precisely to be coincidental.
RTA spokesman Major General Winthai Suvaree detailed the alleged provocations as follows: at 12:10 pm, Cambodian troops opened fire using heavy machine guns on Hill 527 in three volleys of five rounds each; Thai forces responded.
Six minutes later, Cambodian troops fired rifles at Hill 600, prompting further retaliation.
From 12:23 to 12:35 pm, Cambodian units launched three unspecified rounds plus eleven mortar rounds from Chong An Ma toward unknown positions.
At 1:00 pm, Cambodia announced that the ASEAN Interim Observer Team (IOT) would visit Chong An Ma that afternoon.
Precisely at 1:15 pm, Cambodia’s Defence Ministry spokeswoman held a press conference accusing Thailand of aggression, and at that same time, Cambodia’s Senate president posted similar allegations online.
By 1:30 pm, gunfire ceased and both militaries remained facing off.
Winthai argued that the alignment of those events — the attacks, the press conference, and the observer visit — was designed to capture video evidence of Thai troops firing back and create the appearance of Thai aggression.
He urged the IOT to investigate these incidents thoroughly.
Further, the RTA claimed that Cambodian forces have repeatedly incursed across the border to plant landmines, causing injuries to Thai soldiers.
The army insisted such acts violate the ceasefire agreement and demanded that the observer team probe the mine incidents as serious violations of the peace accord.
These assertions come amid ongoing border tensions following a ceasefire brokered in July that has repeatedly come under strain.
The Thai military’s public posture underscores Bangkok’s insistence that it acts in self-defence and will not tolerate maneuvering aimed at undermining its territorial integrity.
As cross-border incidents continue to draw regional attention, Thailand’s military leadership is pressing ASEAN and third-party monitors to validate its claims.
The integrity of the ceasefire hangs in the balance, and independent verification may prove crucial to preventing further escalation.
