On December 31, Thailand returned 18 Cambodian soldiers detained for 155 days after the two sides reached a ceasefire agreement. According to the Khmer Times, the handover ceremony took place at the border gate between Pailin province of Cambodia and Chanthaburi province of Thailand, which is currently the only border gate still operating since the conflict broke out.
Cambodian Information Minister Neth Pheaktra confirmed that the soldiers had returned home safely. The Cambodian Ministry of National Defense said that the handover was carried out under the witness of ASEAN observers and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in compliance with international legal frameworks and humanitarian principles.
According to Cambodia, all diplomatic channels have been mobilized to ensure that soldiers are reunited with their families. The Cambodian government emphasized its commitment not to leave any soldiers behind in the context of bilateral tensions.
This group of 18 soldiers belongs to the 20 Cambodian soldiers arrested by the Thai army in Preah Vihear province during clashes in July. After that, Thailand released 2 soldiers with health problems, while continuing to detain the remaining 18 people until now.
The border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand re-emerged on December 7 and lasted about 20 days, killing at least 101 people and displacing more than half a million people on both sides. According to the ceasefire agreement signed on December 27, Thailand pledged to release the group of prisoners of war if the ceasefire is maintained for 72 hours.
The handover of prisoners of war is considered an important step to strengthen trust and reduce tensions in relations between these two Southeast Asian countries.
