On February 22, Major General Winthai Suvaree - spokesman for the Royal Thai Army - spoke out to clarify after a foreign social networking site posted what he called "fake news" on February 20, accusing Thailand of violating international law and using excessive force in the Thai-Cambodian border situation.
1. Accusations that Thailand escalated border tensions to gain voter support:
Mr. Winthai affirmed that the Thai military strictly adheres to international law, adjusts actions according to the situation and implements the rule of using force. He said that Thailand's actions are legitimate self-defense rights under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and are not related to political lobbying in Bangkok.
2. Accusations that Thailand used excessive force after a soldier was injured by a mine:
Mr. Winthai said that Thailand is coordinating forces to protect sovereignty and civilians, not just reacting to a single mine incident. He also accused Cambodian forces of firing heavy weapons first on Thai soldiers and residential areas.
3. Accusations that Thailand used banned weapons, including cluster munitions, killing a 10-year-old boy near Preah Vihear:
Mr. Winthai denied the use of chemical weapons or cluster munitions against civilians, saying that Thailand only uses 155mm DPICM artillery shells (multi-purpose artillery shells) against military targets.
The Major General noted that Thailand is not a member of the cluster munitions ban convention and the use - if any - is based on military needs, only targeting equipment, vehicles and works.
Regarding the death of the Cambodian boy, he said that the inspection results showed that this was an accident related to old explosives dismantled for scrap outside the fighting area, not related to Thai activities.
4. Accusations that Thailand is conducting psychological warfare by broadcasting "ghost crying" sounds and funeral music at 3 am into villages to scare children:
Mr. Winthai said this is not military activity but an action by Thai civilians to protest what he calls sovereignty violations and acts of violence against police on Thai territory.
5. Information suggests that nearly 98,000 Cambodians are still being relocated:
Mr. Winthai said that this number is incorrect and far exceeds reality. According to him, the disputed area only includes 3 villages in Sa Kaeo province with about 1,000 households, equivalent to several thousand people.
He said Cambodia has long known that this area belongs to Thai territory, and accused Cambodian civilians and soldiers of expanding their residence in Thai territory after the war. He argued that this group should not be called "migrants" but illegal residents.
