Cambodia is calling for the return of more troops detained by Thailand amid ongoing border tensions. Thailand has returned two injured Cambodian soldiers captured during recent clashes over a disputed border area as both nations gear up for discussions next week to uphold a fragile ceasefire. On Friday, the soldiers were handed over at a checkpoint linking Thailand’s Surin province with Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey, according to Cambodia’s Defence Ministry. Their release comes as both sides continue to accuse each other of targeting civilians and violating international laws during a five-day conflict that erupted last week.
Eighteen other Cambodian soldiers were captured during skirmishes on Tuesday, just hours after a ceasefire was agreed upon, and remain in Thai custody. “The injured soldiers were released through an agreed-upon border point,” stated Maly Socheata, a representative for Cambodia’s Defence Ministry, urging Thailand to release the remaining soldiers following international humanitarian standards. The two nations have given sharply differing accounts of how the soldiers were captured. Cambodia claims its troops approached with peaceful intentions to greet Thai forces, but Thailand contests this, asserting that the soldiers entered its territory aggressively, leading to their capture. Thai officials indicate they are following legal procedures while reviewing the situation of the detained soldiers, with no timeline for their release provided.
The ceasefire has not calmed nationalistic tensions, as social media in both countries teems with patriotic displays and mutual blame. Both countries have led diplomats and observers on tours of former combat areas, each accusing the other of causing destruction while promoting their narratives. Recent confrontations involved infantry battles, Cambodian rocket attacks, Thai air raids, and artillery fire, resulting in over 30 deaths, including civilians, and displacing more than 260,000 people. Under the ceasefire, military leaders from both nations will convene in Malaysia next week to discuss measures to reduce tensions, though the enduring territorial dispute isn’t on the agenda for resolution.
The General Border Committee, responsible for coordinating border security, ceasefires, and troop movements, will meet from August 4 to 7, according to Thai acting Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit. “We will invite defence attaches from other ASEAN countries, as well as from the US and China,” said a spokesperson for the Malaysian government, which currently chairs the regional Southeast Asian bloc. Separately, on Friday, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol announced that Cambodia plans to nominate US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, crediting his efforts in mediating the ceasefire. At an earlier event in the capital, he expressed gratitude to Trump for “facilitating peace” and maintained that the US president merits the accolade. Similar nominations have recently been made by Pakistan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both praising Trump’s involvement in regional conflicts.
