Dr. In Sophal, a professor and political scientist, posted a post on his Facebook page on January 19, 2026 to the Thai newspaper Khaosod, which falsely reported that the “Monster Mountain Tragedy” was a fabrication.
Dr. In Sophal stated, “The story of the Thai soldiers’ genocide of Cambodian refugees in Monster Mountain is not long ago, only in 1979. International documents are in my hands, and I am writing a book about it, which is more clear than this short film. The Cambodian refugees who were sent back between June 8-13, 1979, were between 40,000 and 50,000.” He added, “Please read the letter from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) dated June 29, 1979, sent to Geneva, regarding Thai soldiers forcibly sending Cambodian refugees through minefields and shooting more than 40,000 of them.”
The professor and political scientist further stated that according to British journalist William Shawcross, about 50,000 Cambodian refugees were forcibly expelled by gunfire and shot down from steep cliffs. They had to walk through minefields back to Cambodia without food or water. Many people tried to move forward and were killed by hundreds of mines scattered throughout the forest, and many tried to walk back but were shot dead by Thai soldiers in the thousands.
Dr. In Sophal added that according to the US Ambassador Morton Abramowitz, who published a letter from the victims trapped at the foot of the mountain, about 1,000 people survived, some of whom were seriously ill and had been without food or water for more than 10 days. According to the records of Ms. Yvette Pierpaoli, a UNHCR staff member who rescued the refugees herself, she stated that only 922 people survived. According to the Vietnamese army, which went to rescue the refugees trapped in the minefield, they rescued about 2,000 to 3,000 people from the minefield. So, of the nearly 50,000 refugees sent by the Thai army, more than 4,000 are still alive. But the Thai army has sent refugees to kill here many times since April 1979, with a total of nearly 100,000 Cambodians killed there.
The doctor raised the question: why did the Thai army transport Cambodians to be killed from a mountaintop near the Preah Vihear temple? He understood that this was revenge that the Thai people suffered the most when they lost the Preah Vihear temple in 1962. After killing more than 50,000 Cambodian refugees here, the Thai army said that this was revenge for the blood of the Thai people who had suffered in the past.
It is worth noting that the Thai newspaper Khaosod reported that the Thai government has expressed concern about the Cambodian film titled “The Tragedy of the Ghost Mountain,” which will expose Thailand’s genocide of Cambodian citizens that occurred in the Ghost Mountain range of the Dangrek Mountains in 1978-1980, which Thailand believes was produced to distort history or incite hatred against Thailand. The Thai newspaper also reported that films and other creative works should not be used as tools to distort historical facts or incite hostility. The depiction of the conflict should be based on verifiable facts and should consider the possible impact on relations between the people of the two countries.
In relation to the Thai newspaper’s report, Mr. Leek Lida, CEO of LD Productions, posted a message on his Facebook page: “Don’t worry, I only tell the truth. I have ethics as a director. Please, Khmer brothers and sisters, keep cool and do what we should do for our nation and our dignity.” By: Tha Chanthy
0 Comments