UPDATES:
16:40: National Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata said that as of 3:30pm on Thursday, Thailand has yet to return 20 Cambodian soldiers captured on July 29.
Socheata urged the Thai military officials to immediately return the soldiers, as well as any others who may remain in Thai custody. “At the same time, we will continue to pursue all diplomatic means to ensure a rapid and safe return of our people,” she said.
Speaking to the media at Royal Thai Army headquarters on Thursday, army spokesperson Major-General Winthai Suvaree said the commander of Thailand’s Second Army region had assured that 18 Cambodian detainees – a figure that conflicts with Cambodia’s count – would be handled under international legal standards, Al Jazeera reported.
“The soldiers would be swiftly returned once the legal procedures are completed,” local Thai newspaper The Nation quoted the army spokesperson as saying.
The Nation added that the exact nature of the legal proceedings the Cambodian troops would face was not immediately clear, but said the Thai military’s “firm position suggests a comprehensive review of the incident is underway.”
The Thai foreign affairs office has still not responded to a request for comment on ongoing talks with Cambodia.
CamboJA News was unable to independently confirm the total number of Cambodian and Thai troops captured during clashes since July 24.
Socheata also said Defense Minister Tea Seiha has sent an invitation to General Natthaphon Narkphanit, acting Defense Minister of Thailand, to attend an extraordinary meeting of the General Border Committee (GBC) scheduled for August 4 in Phnom Penh. The meeting was arranged as part of the ceasefire agreement reached in Malaysia on July 28.
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said that they have received the body of one of its soldiers and are awaiting the return of 20 captured troops from the Thai side. Their detention followed a skirmish near the Preah Vihear border on Tuesday, after which both sides traded blame for violating a fragile ceasefire agreement.
Defense Ministry spokesperson Malay Socheata said Thursday the number of Cambodian troops detained is 20, not 17 as earlier reported. She also confirmed at least one soldier was killed in the July 29 clash, which sparked fresh blame-trading over who fired first – the same dispute that has followed border clashes since a May incident set off a chain of escalations.
“Our most important goals are to continue to defend our territory and the lives of our citizens, preserve peace and ensure that war will not break out again,” Socheata told reporters. “We will do our best to continue to negotiate with the Thai side in order to bring all our soldiers back home safely and as soon as possible.”
The Thai Army said 18 Cambodian soldiers were detained on July 29 after fighting broke out near the Sam Tae area in Si Sa Ket province, which borders Cambodia’s Preah Vihear. It corroborated Cambodia’s account of two fatalities and said one wounded Cambodian soldier is receiving treatment.
During a Wednesday visit by foreign representatives to the affected border areas, Cambodian commander Chan Sopheaktra accused Thailand of ambushing the now detained Cambodian troops. Thailand denied these claims, saying the Cambodian troops opened fire first.
In the statement, the Thai Army said it would repatriate the remains in accordance with “international standards of practice” for the “dignified treatment of war dead.”
The Thai foreign affairs office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on ongoing talks with Cambodia or whether an exchange was being considered for the detained troops.
Cambodia has called on the Thai military to release all 20 detained Cambodian soldiers as soon as possible, along with any others yet to be identified. According to spokesperson Malay Socheata, Cambodian armed forces have also asked a Malaysian military commander to help mediate.
CamboJA News was unable to independently confirm the total number of Thai and Cambodian troops captured during clashes since July 24.
Prime Minister Hun Manet on Thursday addressed criticism over the government’s lack of timely updates on the 20 detained soldiers, saying information was withheld early on to protect lives and avoid disrupting negotiations.
“In the case of our captured soldiers, their lives have been the top priority of the Royal Government since the time they were captured,” he said.
Hun Manet said military leaders had contacted their Thai counterparts to request the soldiers’ immediate release.
“I hope that the Thai army will return all our soldiers to Cambodia as soon as possible,” he added.
Thailand’s Assistant Foreign Minister said Bangkok will send foreign observers to the border on August 1 to assess damage and monitor the ceasefire, according to local Thai media. Cambodia already did so on July 30.
Another Thai Foreign Ministry official, accusing Cambodia of violating the ceasefire, said Bangkok had submitted a protest letter to Malaysia, the United States, China and the UN Secretary-General.
While Tuesday’s events pointed to a shaky start to the Malaysia-brokered ceasefire on July 28, no further fighting had been reported as of Thursday afternoon.
(Reporting by Khuon Narim, Coby Hobbs, Seoung Nimol,Rafael Liebowitz Thayer)
