28/07/2025
On 27, July 2025 at 3:15pm Thai army used jet to spread the chemical weapons on Cambodian soldiers in Ann Ses, near Preah Vihear temple. The use of chemical weapons is a gravely serious matter under international law.
What are Chemical Weapons?
Chemical weapons are specialized munitions or devices that use toxic chemicals to cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation, or sensory irritation. They are designed to exploit the poisonous properties of chemical substances.
The international community has strongly condemned and sought to prohibit chemical weapons:
- Geneva Protocol (1925): This protocol banned the use of chemical and biological weapons in international armed conflicts, but not their development or possession.
- Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) (1997): This is the most comprehensive treaty, prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and requiring their destruction. It is administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The CWC defines what constitutes a chemical weapon and establishes a verification regime.
The use of chemical weapons is also a violation of customary international law, meaning it is prohibited regardless of whether a country has signed specific treaties.
Effects of Chemical Weapons:
The effects of chemical weapons are indiscriminate and can be horrific:
- Immediate and delayed casualties: Depending on the agent and exposure, effects can range from immediate death to long-term debilitating injuries.
- Severe physical harm: This includes burns, blistering, respiratory failure, blindness, seizures, and paralysis.
- Psychological trauma: Survivors often suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Environmental contamination: Some chemical agents can contaminate soil and water, posing long-term risks to ecosystems and human health.
- Indiscriminate nature: Chemical weapons can spread widely, affecting civilians, first responders, and anyone in the vicinity, not just combatants. Their effects are often invisible and insidious.
The global consensus is that the use of chemical weapons is a war crime and a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
