Phnom penh: The Director General of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) has rejected reports by several Thai media outlets regarding MK-84 aerial bombs discovered on Cambodian territory, describing the claims as attempts to distort facts and evade responsibility.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the clarification came after Thai media questioned evidence presented by Cambodian authorities concerning the nearly one-ton MK-84 bombs allegedly dropped by Thai forces during cross-border military operations. The issue has also drawn inquiries from local and international journalists as well as Cambodian citizens seeking further explanation.
The CMAC chief addressed three key points raised by the Thai side.
First, regarding assertions that all bombs dropped by Thai aircraft had exploded, he said such remarks effectively amounted to an admission that aerial bombs had indeed been used against Cambodian territory. He noted that, like all munitions, aerial bombs have a recognised failure rate and do not always detonate upon impact.
He compared the situation to previous incidents involving cluster munitions, where Thai officials had similarly claimed that all projectiles had exploded, despite CMAC continuing to recover unexploded ordnance that has endangered Cambodian civilians, including children.
Second, he rejected claims that the MK-84 bombs in question were remnants of U.S. military operations in Cambodia during the 1960s and 1970s, describing the allegation as a deliberate distortion of evidence.
According to CMAC, all military ordnance carries internationally recognised identification markings, including serial numbers, manufacturing dates, production lots, and information on the manufacturer and country of origin.
The bombs presented by Cambodian authorities reportedly bear the code 30003-923AS105 and lot number IMI96G015-011, indicating that they were produced by an Israeli military industry company in 1996. He argued that a bomb manufactured in 1996 could not have been used during the U.S. military campaign in Cambodia, which ended in 1975.
Third, responding to claims that the bombs' origin could not be verified due to insufficient information, the CMAC chief said verification could be conducted through physical evidence, including bomb components, crater locations, witness testimony, and flight data.
He noted that the United States has previously provided Cambodia with bombing records from the war period to support humanitarian mine clearance operations and to demonstrate moral responsibility. CMAC has relied on these records to guide its demining activities, he added.
According to the agency, the location where the MK-84 bombs were discovered does not appear in the U.S. bombing database, further supporting Cambodia's position that the ordnance is unrelated to historical American operations.
CMAC emphasised that all MK-84 bombs, cluster munitions, and other unexploded ordnance recovered by its teams are systematically documented, with detailed records of their locations, identification markings, and conditions, allowing both national and international experts to conduct independent verification and study.
Some of the evidence, the agency added, will be preserved as historical artefacts to serve as reminders of the human suffering caused by war and to promote a culture of peace for future generations.
"The truth remains the truth," the CMAC chief stated, stressing that facts cannot be altered through misinformation, distortion, or unfounded accusations.