Prime Minister and Culture Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra earlier today stated that Cambodia has committed a "severe war crime" by initiating the border conflict. She also suggested the aggression may be linked to her successful crackdown on call center scam gangs.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed the Thai government's stance that Cambodia fired first on July 24th, violating international law and humanitarian principles. She described Cambodia's actions as inhumane, citing their use of artillery on civilian communities, which resulted in casualties, including children. She confirmed that Thailand's use of F-16 fighter jets was a necessary and targeted response to these attacks. She pointed to foreign media observations that Cambodian students were kept home from school on the day of the attack, suggesting premeditation on Cambodia's part.

Paetongtarn then connected the conflict to her recent effective crackdown on call center scams along the borders with Laos and Myanmar. She recounted that Cambodia had previously expressed anger at being excluded from the trilateral anti-scam cooperation. She questioned whether the crackdown had interfered with powerful interests, which may have led to the current situation. She dismissed narratives that the conflict was a feud between political families, insisting any government would have had to take on the scam operations.

The Prime Minister stressed that Thailand's government and military will not back down and will do their utmost to protect national sovereignty. She noted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already presented clear evidence to the international community of Cambodia's violations. These include the use of newly planted landmines, which she called a grave breach of humanitarian principles.

In her capacity as Minister of Culture, she expressed gratitude to Their Majesties the King and Queen for placing all victims under Royal Patronage. Her ministry will manage the royally-sponsored funerals and lead other support missions, including mental health recovery and assessing damage to cultural sites. Despite being suspended as Prime Minister, she confirmed she is following the situation closely and will soon visit the affected border provinces.

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