Cluster munitions disperse multiple explosive submunitions. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) notes that these weapons have been used since 1945.
These weapons are designed to release multiple submunitions, which can scatter over a wide area.
The number of submunitions and the area over which they disperse vary with the type of weapon and the conditions of use. Some submunitions may fail to explode immediately and continue to endanger civilians after fighting.
The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) was adopted in Dublin on May 30, 2008, opened for signature in Oslo on December 3, 2008, and entered into force on August 1, 2010. It prohibits states parties from using, developing, producing, stockpiling or transferring cluster munitions.
Records and reports of cluster munition use along the Cambodia–Thailand border
1. The 2011 case near the Temple of Preah Vihear
• The Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) documented Thai forces’ use of Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM) in the February 2011 border clashes near the Temple of Preah Vihear and classified them as cluster munitions. In April 2011, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Thai forces had used DPICM, said they had acted in self-defence and disputed that classification.
2. Cambodian reports on July 25, 2025
• During the July 2025 border fighting, the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) and a Cambodian Ministry of National Defence spokesperson reported on July 25 that Thai forces had used cluster munitions at two sites in Preah Vihear Province. According to the Cambodian account:
o The first reported incident was at about 5:25 a.m. in the Phnom Khmouch area, along the border in Preah Vihear Province.
o The second was reported at about 6:50 a.m. in Techo Thammachart Village, Choam Ksant District, Preah Vihear Province. On the same day, Thailand’s representative told the United Nations Security Council that cluster munitions were used exclusively against military objectives.
Preah Sihanouk Provincial Television · Written by: ចិន្តា ទីទិ
