AKP Phnom Penh, December 16, 2025 --

Senior Minister H.E. Ly Thuch has drawn the attention of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) to a serious humanitarian and legal concern arising from the recent military actions of Thailand against Cambodia, during which cluster munitions were employed in civilian areas. 

These actions occurred during the incursions of July 24-28, 2025 and the ongoing incursion beginning Dec. 7, 2025, resulting in civilian casualties, mass displacement, and widespread fear and suffering, said H.E. Ly Thuch, also First Vice President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA).

In his letter dated Dec. 15 to H.E. Thongsavan PHOMVIHANE, Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the CCM’s Third Review Conference, after the July incursion, a young Cambodian child was killed by a bomblet from a cluster munition deployed by Thai forces. Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate, and their use in populated areas poses long-term risks to civilian lives and livelihoods, as unexploded submunitions remain lethal for months and even years. The humanitarian consequences of such attacks are severe, especially for children, farmers, and other vulnerable populations.

Most recently, in the ongoing military aggression by Thailand, reports from the 4th Military Region battlefront of the Cambodian Armed Forces indicate the following deployments of cluster munitions:

-  On Dec. 13, 2025, at 05:45 a.m., the Thai military deployed cluster munitions in the vicinity of Preah Vihear Temple.
-  On Dec. 14, 2025, at 03:10 a.m., the Thai military again deployed cluster munitions in the same area.

While Thailand is not a State Party to the CCM, the use of these weapons in civilian areas constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law. Their indiscriminate nature, potential for long-lasting harm, and disproportionate effect on civilian populations make their use unacceptable under any circumstances.

“Cambodia respectfully calls upon the President of the CCM and the wider Convention family to condemn the use of cluster munitions in civilian areas, highlight the catastrophic humanitarian consequences, and advocate for the strict adherence to international humanitarian law by all actors. Such support is essential to preserve the integrity and purpose of the Convention and to ensure that the global norm against cluster munitions is reinforced,” H.E. Ly Thuch stated. 

The CMAA First Vice President also reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to peaceful resolution, civilian protection, and the humanitarian principles that underpin the CCM. “We respectfully urge the CCM community to engage in raising awareness of this grave situation, to condemn these acts of aggression, and to support measures to prevent further use of cluster munitions against civilian populations,” he underlined. 

By C. Nika