Thailand Demands Equal Standards in War Crimes Investigation
Thailand's military demands equal standards in investigating alleged war crimes, stating that accusations require evidence, not opinion, and insisting Cambodia's rocket attacks on Thai civilians be examined under the same legal scrutiny.
On September 4, Lieutenant General Prapas Saonjai, Deputy Commander of the Situation and Director of the Thailand-Cambodia Joint Information Center, responded to Cambodian media coverage citing a French photographer's claim that Thai military actions may constitute war crimes. Saonjai acknowledged Thailand respects media freedom and the right to question, but emphasized that war crimes are serious legal accusations requiring proof through evidence and facts, not opinion or one-sided images.
Saonjai stated that if investigating international humanitarian law violations, all events should be examined by the same standard. Thailand possesses evidence of BM-21 rocket fire from Cambodia into Thai civilian areas, including the December 14, 2024 incident in Kantharawichai District, Sri Saket Province, which resulted in one Thai civilian death and multiple injuries.
When asked if Thailand is accusing Cambodia of war crimes, the JIC director clarified that determining war crimes is a legal matter for competent authorities, not JIC's role. However, international humanitarian law requires combatants to distinguish civilians from military targets and protect civilians. When area-effect weapons like BM-21 rockets are fired into civilian communities, such actions must be seriously investigated under international law.
Saonjai noted Thailand has declared commitment to the principles of Necessity, Proportionality, and Distinction, and has a duty to minimize civilian harm even when facing attack. When asked if Thailand has evidence ready, he confirmed yes, and stated Thailand is not asking the world to take sides, but to examine the evidence. This includes a complete timeline, impact sites, weapon damage, photographs, video, technical data, eyewitnesses, and physical evidence.
"If accusations are made against Thailand, we are ready for examination by the same standard," the JIC director said, adding in English: "Thailand is not asking the world to choose sides. We are asking the world to examine the evidence."
Thailand previously clarified to the diplomatic corps that on December 7–8, 2024, Cambodia opened fire using BM-21 rockets against Thai civilian areas, while Thailand's response invoked self-defense rights and was limited to military targets under the principles of Necessity and Proportionality.
The JIC director reiterated: "War crimes are determined by law and evidence, not by headlines. Thailand is ready for impartial scrutiny. We ask only that the same standard be applied to all sides—including the firing of BM-21 rockets into Thai civilian communities that caused civilian deaths and injuries."
"Do not judge war from a single image. Do not judge law from a headline. And do not investigate only one side," he concluded.
