BANGKOK, Thailand’s military has signaled readiness to repatriate 18 Cambodian soldiers detained since a deadly border clash three months ago, but only after Phnom Penh fully complies with stringent conditions aimed at easing longstanding tensions along the shared frontier.
Maj. Gen. Winthai Suvaree, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army (RTA), stated on Wednesday that the release would proceed “in accordance with international and domestic laws and regulations,” stating adherence to the Geneva Conventions and humanitarian principles. The captives, classified as prisoners of war (PoWs), have been held in facilities under the Second Army Region since their surrender on July 29th in the disputed Sam Tae area of Si Sa Ket province, near the Cambodian border. Thai forces reported providing them with basic care, including medical treatment, in line with global standards, and even invited the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for inspections earlier this month.
The incident that led to their capture was part of a five-day skirmish from July 24th to 28th, triggered by competing claims over ancient temple sites and overlapping territorial zones—a flashpoint in Thai-Cambodian relations. Clashes involved heavy artillery exchanges, resulting in at least 20 Cambodian deaths (including two on the Thai side of the border) and the seizure of weapons allegedly planted inside Thai territory, such as landmines. In a gesture of goodwill, Thailand repatriated two wounded Cambodian soldiers—a sergeant with a broken arm and a second lieutenant suffering from combat fatigue—on August 1st via the Chong Chom checkpoint in Surin province.
Maj. Gen. Winthai outlined four key conditions for the full release. These include:
– Withdrawal of heavy weapons from border areas, with both sides drafting a joint plan to monitor compliance.
– Mine clearance operations to neutralize explosives in contested zones, addressing Thai concerns over Cambodian-placed devices.
– Suppression of transnational crime networks, particularly scam centers in Cambodia that target Thai citizens, through intelligence sharing and a bilateral task force led by Thailand’s police and interior ministry.
– Joint management of border areas, promoting peaceful dispute resolution via diplomatic mechanisms like ASEAN forums.
He stressed that “mutual hostilities must clearly decrease,” warning that failure to progress could lead to further legal or international measures to protect Thai interests.
