Cambodia seeks release of 20 soldiers held by Thailand after border clashes

Thailand’s response to a ceasefire that put an end to days of deadly cross-border fighting between its neighbors, including disputed territory, has been called upon by Cambodia.

Although reports from Thailand suggest that the Royal Thai Army wants the detainees to go through the “legal process” before repatriation, according to a spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, Maly Socheata, who confirmed on Thursday that discussions were ongoing for the release of 20 soldiers.

The spokesperson stated at a press briefing that “we will continue to negotiate with the Thai side to ensure that all of our soldiers return home safely and as soon as possible.”

She urged the Thai government to send all 20 military personnel back to Cambodia as soon as possible.

The group of Cambodian soldiers were detained on Tuesday at around 7:50am local time (00:50 GMT), almost eight hours after a ceasefire between the two nations was declared.

Major-General Winthai Suvaree, a spokesman for the army, told the media on Thursday that the commander of Thailand’s Second Army Region had assured the detainees, who numbered 18, that they would be treated with international legal terms.

Once the legal procedures are finished, the army spokesperson, according to Thailand’s The Nation newspaper, stated that “the soldiers would be quickly returned.”

The Cambodian troops’ specific legal status is unknown, but the Thai military’s “firm position suggests a comprehensive review of the incident is underway,” the Nation added.

The detained Cambodian soldiers were being treated in accordance with international humanitarian law and military rules, according to Thailand’s government’s statement on Wednesday, and they would be returned to Cambodia once the border situation stabilises.

As the two opposing armies clashed for days with long-range rockets and artillery in a largely agricultural and jungle-filled border region, nearly 300, 000 people fled their homes on both sides of the Thai-Cambodia border. Cambodian positions were also attacked by Thai jet fighters.

The fighting, which was the heaviest in decades, claimed the lives of 15 of Thailand’s soldiers and 15 civilians, while Cambodia claimed eight civilians and five of its soldiers were killed.

The ceasefire, which was facilitated by Malaysia, has been in place since Tuesday despite allegations of both sides breaking the truce.

Volker Turk, the UN’s representative for human rights, has urged Bangkok and Phnom Penh to fully implement their ceasefire agreement and take swift actions to bolster their mutual respect.