RTA justifies continued detention of 18 Cambodian soldiers
Thai army defends holding 18 Cambodian soldiers, citing ceasefire violations and Geneva Convention rules; Red Cross verified their well-being.
- The Royal Thai Army (RTA) states the soldiers were captured on Thai soil during fighting that occurred after a ceasefire was supposed to be in effect.
- Thailand justifies the continued detention by citing the Third Geneva Convention, which permits holding prisoners of war until armed conflicts have completely ended.
- The RTA argues the conflict is not over, pointing to ongoing ceasefire violations by Cambodian forces, such as drone surveillance and cross-border incursions.
- The RTA asserts the prisoners are being treated in accordance with international law, with their conditions having been verified by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Thai army responds to Cambodian allegation
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) on Monday defended its continued detention of 18 Cambodian soldiers, saying they were captured while fighting was still ongoing and stressing that armed conflicts along the border have not completely ended.
RTA spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree issued the statement in response to a claim by Cambodia’s Defence Ministry, posted on social media earlier on Monday, that the 18 soldiers had been unlawfully detained by Thailand for 41 days.
The Cambodian ministry alleged that the soldiers were arrested on the morning of July 29, after the ceasefire took effect at midnight on July 28, and were therefore being held unlawfully.
Ceasefire violations cited
Winthai argued that although the ceasefire was supposed to begin at midnight on July 28, Cambodian troops continued to attack Thai soldiers into the following morning.
He said the 18 Cambodian soldiers were captured on Thai soil during the fighting, which he described as a violation of the ceasefire, thereby justifying their detention.
Geneva treaty obligations
Winthai insisted that the soldiers are being treated in accordance with international humanitarian law and the Third Geneva Convention, to which both Thailand and Cambodia are parties.
He explained that under the convention, prisoners of war can only be repatriated once armed conflicts have fully ceased.
Ongoing incidents reported
According to frontline reports received by the RTA, Cambodian forces continue to breach the ceasefire agreement in several ways, Winthai said.
These included drone surveillance of Thai troops, the organisation of civilian protests to provoke Thai soldiers, and cross-border incursions to remove barbed wire or plant landmines. Such incidents, he said, proved that armed conflict had not yet ended, even if the overall situation appeared to have improved.
Red Cross access ensured
The spokesman stressed that the RTA had ensured the well-being of the 18 Cambodian prisoners of war. Their conditions have been verified twice by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who met and spoke with them.
He added that the RTA would facilitate access for any international organisation wishing to meet the detainees.
