One Claim, Another Reality: Thailand’s Attacks and Questions of War Crimes

Thailand’s prime minister has claimed that the use of military force against Cambodia was intended to “dismantle online criminal networks”.

At first glance, the assertion may appear plausible. But in international relations, words cannot replace facts. What the world ultimately judges is conduct, not rhetoric or political statements.

When the alleged actions are examined more closely, Thailand’s military operations show little sign of being a law-enforcement exercise. Instead, they are accused of targeting Buddhist temples, schools, civilian homes, bridges and roads—objects that are civilian in nature. Such attacks cannot reasonably be justified as policing or security measures. Rather, they point clearly to an act of aggression against Cambodia’s sovereignty.

Under international humanitarian law, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are strictly prohibited. Temples and schools are not military targets. Civilian homes are not battlefields. The destruction of bridges and roads used by civilians in their daily lives risks triggering serious humanitarian consequences. If such acts are carried out deliberately, or without respect for the principles of proportionality and precaution, they may amount to war crimes.

Against this backdrop, attempts to cloak the use of military force on another state’s territory under the banner of “combating online crime” are not only politically disingenuous, but also undermine the foundational principles of international law. If any state were free to attack a neighbouring country simply by claiming it was “fighting crime”, the international system itself would descend into chaos.

In this context, calls for an international investigation are both appropriate and necessary. Should sufficient evidence be found, Thailand’s prime minister and the military commanders involved should be held legally accountable before the International Criminal Court (ICC), just as leaders elsewhere in the world have learned that no one is beyond the reach of international law.

International law cannot operate on double standards. Civilians—regardless of nationality, religion or country—are of equal value. Protecting civilians and respecting state sovereignty are the foundations of peace. If the international community fails to uphold these principles firmly, violence and aggression will become normalised, and no one will be safe.