Thailand on Wednesday released 18 Cambodian prisoners of war who had been held for five months, following a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending prolonged and bitter border clashes between the two neighbouring countries.
The release came after a ceasefire pact signed on Saturday by the defence ministers of Thailand and Cambodia at the same border checkpoint linking Thailand’s Chanthaburi province and Cambodia’s Pailin province, where the handover was carried out, reports AP/UNB.
Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said the repatriation was conducted as a gesture of goodwill, confidence-building and in compliance with international humanitarian norms.
Cambodia’s Defence Ministry welcomed the move, saying it would help promote peace, stability and the full normalisation of relations between the two countries for the benefit of their peoples.
The release removes a major hurdle to easing tensions following two rounds of intense fighting over disputed border areas.
Thailand had earlier said the detention of the soldiers was permitted under the Geneva Conventions, which allow prisoners of war to be held until hostilities end, adding that the detainees had access to the International Committee of the Red Cross and other protections under international humanitarian law.
Cambodia, however, had used the continued detention of the soldiers to rally domestic support during the standoff with Thailand.
In a statement on Wednesday, Cambodia’s defence ministry said the government had honoured its commitment to the families of the captured soldiers and to the nation that no servicemember would be left behind.
Under the ceasefire terms, the prisoners were to be released if fighting ceased for 72 hours after the agreement took effect at noon on Saturday. Although that period ended on Tuesday, Thai officials said extra time was needed to assess the situation, citing reports of Cambodian drone activity along the border.
The two sides have given differing accounts of how the soldiers were captured on the day an earlier ceasefire took effect in late July. Cambodian officials said their troops approached Thai positions peacefully to exchange post-conflict greetings, while Thai authorities claimed the soldiers entered territory Thailand considers its own with hostile intent.
Initially, 20 Cambodian soldiers were taken captive, though two were released within days on medical grounds.
The July ceasefire was mediated by Malaysia and reinforced by pressure from then US President Donald Trump, who threatened to suspend trade benefits unless both sides agreed. A more detailed agreement was finalised in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia attended by Trump.
Despite those efforts, tensions continued, with propaganda exchanges and sporadic clashes persisting before escalating into heavy fighting in early December.
Since 7 December, Thailand has reported the deaths of 26 soldiers and one civilian, along with 44 civilian fatalities, as a result of the fighting, according to officials.
