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Cambodia Urges Return of More Soldiers as Tense Border Talks Loom
PHNOM PENH – Thailand has released two wounded Cambodian soldiers captured during recent fierce fighting, but Cambodia is demanding the return of 18 other troops still in Thai custody as the two nations prepare for critical de-escalation talks next week.
The two soldiers were repatriated on Friday through a checkpoint connecting Thailand’s Surin province with Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey, the Cambodian Defence Ministry confirmed. Their return comes ahead of a high-level meeting aimed at reinforcing a fragile truce after a five-day conflict that left more than 30 people dead.
Despite the handover, tensions remain high, with 18 Cambodian troops who were captured on Tuesday—hours after a ceasefire was agreed upon—still being held by Thailand.
“The wounded soldiers were returned through a designated border point,” said Maly Socheata, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s Defence Ministry. She urged Bangkok to repatriate the remaining soldiers “in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
The circumstances of the soldiers’ capture are a point of sharp disagreement. Phnom Penh claims its troops were approaching Thai positions with peaceful intentions to offer post-conflict greetings. In contrast, Bangkok alleges the Cambodian soldiers crossed into Thai territory with hostile intent, leading to their detention. Thai officials state they are following legal protocols in handling the remaining detainees but have not provided a timeline for their release.
The lingering dispute forms a tense backdrop for the upcoming General Border Committee meeting, scheduled for August 4-7 in Malaysia. Military officials from both countries will discuss de-escalation measures, though the talks will not address the decades-old territorial dispute that is the root cause of the conflict.
Reflecting the international interest in the situation, a Malaysian government spokesperson confirmed that “defence attaches from other ASEAN countries will be invited as well as the defence attaches from the US and China.”
The recent fighting involved infantry clashes, rocket fire, air strikes, and artillery duels, forcing over 260,000 people to flee their homes. In the aftermath, a war of narratives has continued, with nationalist sentiment flaring on social media in both countries. Both governments have also organized tours for foreign diplomats to showcase damage in former combat zones, each blaming the other for the destruction.
In a separate development on Friday, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol announced that Phnom Penh plans to nominate United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him for his role in brokering the ceasefire that has largely held despite the ongoing tensions.
