Major General Winthai Suvaree, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Army, said on 8/9 that Thailand's continued detention of 18 Cambodian soldiers for over a month is "fully consistent" with international humanitarian law and the 1949 Geneva Conventions, to which both Thailand and Cambodia are signatories.
General Winthai said the Geneva Conventions stipulate that prisoners of war can only be repatriated when armed conflict has ended completely. He said Thailand is ready to act in accordance with the Conventions. However, the situation on the ground shows that "Cambodian forces continue to violate the ceasefire agreement in various ways."
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Royal Thai Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree on 30/7. Photo: Khaosod |
Royal Thai Army spokesperson Winthai Suvaree on 30/7. Photo: Khaosod
He reiterated previous Thai allegations that the Cambodian army is still deploying reconnaissance drones in the area, "inciting civilians" to damage barbed wire fences in the disputed area, and continuing to plant PMN-2 anti-personnel mines along the border, injuring Thai soldiers.
"These actions show that the fighting in the area has not ended, although the overall situation has shown signs of improvement," General Winthai said.
He accused Cambodia of firing shots at the border on the morning of 29/7 after the ceasefire took effect at midnight. Thailand believes that the Cambodian soldiers were captured during an active conflict, and the decision to detain them was justified.
The Royal Thai Army is committed to ensuring the health of the prisoners and is ready to facilitate meetings between them and international organizations. Over the past month, Thailand has twice allowed representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to verify the condition of the Cambodian soldiers.
Cambodia has not yet commented on the allegations. On 6/9, the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC) sent a letter to Ganna Yudkivska, Chair of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, requesting the body to review Thailand's detention of the Cambodian soldiers for over a month.
CHRC Chair Keo Remy urged the UN to put pressure on Thailand to release the prisoners, declaring the detention unlawful and a violation of international conventions.
Thanh Danh (Nation, Khaosod, Khmer Times)
