Thai military officials leveled serious accusations against Cambodian forces on Sunday, presenting evidence they claim shows systematic war crimes and the use of human shields in the ongoing border conflict between the two Southeast Asian nations.

In a detailed statement released by the Thai-Cambodian Border Situation Joint Information Center, Thailand called on international observers to disregard what it termed as “propaganda” and instead focus on “verified facts” regarding alleged violations of Thai sovereignty and international humanitarian law.

According to Thai military reports, Cambodian forces have deliberately positioned troops and ammunition depots within civilian population centers. This tactic, which the Thai military characterized as using civilians as human shields, represents a severe violation of international humanitarian principles that require warring parties to distinguish between military and civilian targets.

“This strategy deliberately draws military conflict into areas where civilians reside, putting non-combatants at direct risk,” said a senior Thai military official who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. “Such actions clearly violate the principle of precaution in armed conflict.”

The border between Thailand and Cambodia has been a flashpoint for decades, with tensions periodically flaring over territorial claims, particularly near the ancient Preah Vihear temple complex. The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, but surrounding areas remain disputed.

Thai authorities have documented extensive damage to residential homes and civilian infrastructure that they claim had no military value or strategic importance. The military statement categorically defined these actions as war crimes, noting that intentional attacks against civilian objects are prohibited under the Geneva Conventions and customary international humanitarian law.

Beyond direct combat operations, the Thai military statement highlighted what it described as a pattern of systematic provocation by Cambodian forces. One particularly disturbing allegation involves the treatment of fallen Cambodian soldiers. According to Thai officials, Cambodian military leaders have neglected to recover or properly handle the remains of their own casualties, violating what Thailand called “the basic humanitarian duty to treat the deceased with dignity.”

International relations experts note that these accusations come at a particularly delicate time for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has long promoted principles of peaceful conflict resolution among member states.

“These are extremely serious allegations that, if proven, would constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law,” said Dr. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political science professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. “However, in cross-border conflicts, establishing the facts is often complicated by competing narratives from both sides.”

The Thai military acknowledged this challenge in its statement, emphasizing the difficulties posed by modern information warfare. “In today’s interconnected world, propaganda can sometimes overshadow reality,” the statement noted. “However, facts must ultimately prevail over discourse.”

Cambodia has not yet issued an official response to these allegations. Previous disputes between the two nations have been marked by competing claims and counter-accusations, with each side presenting conflicting accounts of incidents along the border.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly called for independent investigations into alleged violations in the border region. The United Nations has previously expressed concern about civilian casualties resulting from periodic exchanges of fire between the two countries.

Thailand concluded its statement with an appeal to the international community to judge the situation based solely on verifiable evidence and established principles of international law, rather than what it characterized as misinformation campaigns.

Regional security analysts suggest that without third-party verification of these claims, the accusations risk further inflaming tensions along the already volatile border, potentially threatening the fragile stability in the region.