The Thai military is claiming that Cambodian strongman Hun Sen is behind the Cambodian artillery and rocket attacks on civilian targets in Thailand.
Maj-Gen Vithai Laithomya, spokesman for the Thai armed forces, said that the Thai military has obtained evidence indicating that Hun Sen was instrumental in the Cambodian military’s use of long-range weaponry in indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets on Thursday, including communities, hospitals and schools.
These savage actions have caused death and injury to innocent people, he said, adding that the Cambodian government, under Hun Sen, has committed gross violations of international human rights laws, with complete disregard for the sanctity of life.
Vithai also accused Hun Sen of being a war criminal, who must be brought to trial, and urged international organisations to launch an independent and transparent investigation into his conduct.
Meanwhile, the Thai National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a statement today, condemning the indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets, including a hospital in Surin province.
The NHRC accuses the Cambodian forces of committing war crimes by violating international humanitarian laws, especially the Geneva Convention and Rome Statute.
It calls on Cambodian forces to stop violent acts against civilians and urges Thai authorities to take care of Thai civilians living in areas at risk. It also calls on all parties in Thailand to stop inciting racial hatred against Cambodian civilians living and working in the country, because they are not responsible for the border conflict.
