The Thai Navy has accused the Cambodian Defence Ministry of spreading false claims among the international community that Thai troops opened fire while an ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) in Cambodia was inspecting the border in Pursat province, opposite Thailand’s Trat province.
Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachiayaphan, spokesman, explained yesterday that the area that the Cambodia-based AOT team was inspecting, under the guidance of Cambodian officials, is close to Ban Chamrak in Muang district of Trat, where the Thai Mine Action Centre (TMAC) has been conducting mine clearance, adding that several newly-laid PMN-2 anti-personnel landmines had been found.
He said that a Marine patrol unit was providing protection to the TMAC team and that the unit had spotted some Cambodian soldiers about 150 metres from the border fence. All of a sudden, there were sounds of explosions, which could have been firecrackers or something else.
He said the loud noises prompted the troops on both sides to retreat to the safety of their bunkers and the AOT inspection to be called off.
The spokesman said that the Chanthaburi-Trat Task Force then ordered an investigation into the incident.
It was later confirmed that Thai troops had not opened fire, adding that military personnel at the scene suspect that the noises were caused by firecrackers and appeared to be a trick by the Cambodians to stage-manage an incident.
