Cambodia Details Cluster Bomb Impact to ICRC, Citing Humanitarian Crisis and Socio-Economic Threats

The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) has informed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that the deployment of cluster bombs by Thai forces has created a severe humanitarian crisis and posed threats to Cambodia's socio-economic landscape. During a meeting at CMAC headquarters on August 6, 2026, Heng Ratana, Director-General of CMAC, briefed Alain Aeschlimann, Security and Crisis Management Advisor for the ICRC, and his delegation, detailing the use of internationally banned weapons such as cluster bombs and chemical agents by Thai forces. According to CMAC's research, the investigation into remnants of Thai invasion ordnance has concluded in 335 villages, identifying 5,348 polygons (approximately 3,872 square kilometers) as affected areas. Of these, cluster bomb impacts cover 3,858 polygons (nearly 2,700 square kilometers). It is estimated that approximately 6 to 7 million submunitions from new cluster bombs like M42, M46, and M85 may be scattered across villages and farmlands in these 335 villages. CMAC stated that the scale of this problem in Cambodia is the largest globally, surpassing the approximately 4 million cluster bombs (with about 40% unexploded) dropped by Israel in Lebanon during the 34-day Israel-Lebanon conflict in 2006. Director-General Ratana emphasized that the indiscriminate bombing of schools, residential areas, pagodas, farmlands, and public civil infrastructure by Thai soldiers was a meticulously calculated strategy to engineer a humanitarian crisis and pose severe, long-term socio-economic threats to Cambodia, constituting a violation of international conventions prohibiting the use of cluster bombs. It was noted that investigations into the impact on 14 villages and geographical locations along the front-line border areas are still pending. CMAC expressed gratitude to the ICRC for its humanitarian intermediary role in facilitating the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers abducted by Thai forces after the ceasefire came into effect. Furthermore, CMAC urged the ICRC to continue actively supporting Cambodian refugees in returning to their homes and to ensure that the Thai side takes responsibility for the savage destruction of refugees' homes and crops. Additionally, CMAC requested the ICRC's assistance in urging the Thai side to strictly adhere to international conventions banning the use of cluster bombs and chemical weapons/agents.