CMAC Rejects Thai Claims of Bomb Detonation, Cites Evidence of Falsehoods

The head of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) has dismissed Thai claims that all ordnance dropped from aircraft during last year’s fighting exploded as patently false and untenable. CMAC director-general Heng Ratana noted a range of mixed messages from Thai officials and media, as well as the general public, regarding the claims. Some officials have issued blanket denials about the bombing, while some have proudly claimed responsibility, while saying that all of the bombs exploded. “Regarding the commentary stating that ‘all of their aircraft bombs exploded without exception’” I view this commentary as fresh evidence that the Thai military acknowledges that they used aircraft-dropped bombs to violate the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia,” Ratana said, via social media. He explained that the latest claims are no different from previous ones regarding the explosion of a Thai cluster bomb remnant of war that killed a young Cambodian boy. He recalled that Thai officials previously declared that all the cluster bombs fired into Cambodian territory exploded, despite the discovery of many unexploded bomblets. “I believe that what the points they attempt to raise merely showcases pride and arrogance regarding military material superiority, while deflecting responsibility by lying to the Thai people and the international court of public opinion,” he said. While many Thai sources continue to claim that all of their munitions exploded, some chose a different path, suggesting that the unexploded bombs on display were dropped in Cambodia in the 1960s or 70s, a claim that Ratana described as a “distortion of the truth, a deflection of blame and a slander against concrete evidence”. He said every unexploded aerial bomb, as well other types of ordnance, possesses clear identification such as codes, dates, manufacturing companies and countries of origin, which meets the international standard for managing munitions. “The two MK-84 aerial bombs shown in the photos bear the identification code: 30003-923AS105, and lot number: IMI96G015-011, proving that they were manufactured by Israel Military Industries in 1996. Based on this evidence, I ask: How could a bomb manufactured in 1996 be used by the US air force in Cambodia during the years 1962–1975?” he asked. Ratana also noted that the US government has provided extensive data in Cambodia to the Cambodia government to support humanitarian unexploded ordnance (UXO) and bomb clearance operations, as well as to demonstrate a spirit of moral responsibility. CMAC has utilised the date extensively to support its operations. “Let me clarify once again that the location of the Thai bombs discovered by CMAC is absolutely not in line with the historical data provided by the US,” he said. “The MK-84 aerial bombs, cluster bombs and other unexploded ordnance cleared by CMAC all have clearly recorded locations and ordnance details,” he added.