In a message recalling the Thai military’s incursion into Cambodian territory, Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said an MK-84 bomb was not merely a dangerous remnant of war but physical evidence exposing the truth and countering the Thai military’s denials. He said the bomb had been dropped from a Thai military aircraft into Cambodian territory but had failed to explode.
He recalled that Thai military spokespersons had repeatedly denied using MK-84 bombs and claimed that every bomb dropped by Thai military aircraft had exploded. But, he asked, if all the bombs had truly detonated, why was this unexploded bomb still inside Cambodian territory?
The minister said the bomb remnant before him was testimony that could not be erased, distorted or denied, showing that the claims did not match conditions on the ground. Citing a Khmer proverb about being undone by one’s own lies, he said repeated denials could neither make the evidence disappear nor turn wrongdoing into something right.
The message stressed that the truth remained the truth: this was the remnant of a bomb the Thai military had used during armed aggression against Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Such unexploded ordnance, it said, continued to threaten Cambodian civilians’ lives, safety and livelihoods even after the gunfire had fallen silent.
It added that evidence did not lie. Those who used the weapons could deny their actions, but bomb remnants on Cambodian soil would remain historical witnesses to what happened, who was responsible and the dangerous consequences Cambodian people must continue to face.
By: ង៉ែត ពិសាន្ត
