Cambodia Calls on Thailand to Release 18 Detained | RSS.com
Cambodia has renewed its appeal for Thailand to release 18 detained Cambodian soldiers who have been held for more than three months following clashes near the border.
In a statement issued today, the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense urged Thai authorities to free the soldiers and allow them to return home safely to reunite with their families, citing international humanitarian law. The ministry said the soldiers have been detained under Thai military custody since late July, totaling 98 days as of November 4.
The statement reaffirmed that Cambodia “will never abandon its troops under any circumstance” and that the government continues to use every available diplomatic and military mechanism to secure their release.
However, the Thai military has reportedly set several strict conditions before considering the soldiers’ return. Thai army deputy spokesperson Jongjet Vacharanan told The Nation that Thailand will only proceed with the release once all hostilities between the two countries are officially declared over, heavy weapons are withdrawn, and mine-clearing operations are completed in five key border zones.
Those areas include Ban Sai Tho 10 in Buri Ram province, Chong Hew in Surin, Ban Nong Chan and Ban Nong Ya Kaew in Sa Kaeo, and Ban Chamrak in Trat province.
Vacharanan said the continued detention of the Cambodian soldiers was in line with the Geneva Convention, which allows prisoners of war to be held until the official end of active hostilities. He added that despite recent ceasefire declarations and the peace agreement signed in Malaysia, “the Cambodia–Thailand conflict is not yet over.”
The Kuala Lumpur Joint Peace Declaration, signed on October 26 by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, did not specify terms for the release of prisoners of war or related conditions. U.S. President Donald Trump, who witnessed the signing, reportedly called on both sides to release the 18 Cambodian soldiers as a gesture of goodwill.
On July 30, General Chan Sopheattra, commander of the Preah Vihear operational zone, accused Thai troops of violating the ceasefire by detaining 22 Cambodian soldiers. One soldier reportedly escaped by feigning death.
Cambodia’s defense ministry later confirmed that three days after the arrests, Thailand returned the body of one Cambodian soldier on July 31, followed by two more soldiers on August 1, one with serious injuries and another suffering from psychological trauma.
It has been nine days since the peace agreement was signed, but the 18 remaining Cambodian soldiers are still being held in Thai custody, with no clear sign of release.
