Bangkok: The Royal Thai Army has confirmed that newly planted landmines were discovered on the Thai-Cambodian border, countering earlier reports that suggested otherwise. The Army's clarification comes after a misrepresented news report led to widespread misinformation.
According to Thai News Agency, the Royal Thai Army's statement was based on an Air Traffic Control (AOT) report, which explicitly mentioned that Thai soldiers encountered newly planted landmines. This contradicts previous media reports that inaccurately quoted the Malaysian Foreign Minister as stating the landmines were old. The Army's spokesman, Major General Winthai Suvari, addressed the misreporting, which was initially propagated by Bernama news agency and subsequently picked up by Thai and Cambodian media outlets.
Major General Winthai Suvari emphasized that a thorough fact-checking process revealed the errors in the initial reports. He confirmed that the AOT report documents clearly indicated the presence of newly planted landmines, dispelling any doubts about the age of the explosives. The incident highlights the importance of accurate news reporting and the potential consequences of misinformation.