Thailand delays release ‍of Cambodian troops over alleged truce breaches

While the ceasefire has held since Saturday, Thailand says Cambodia violated the woody with drone flights implicit the border.

Thailand has said it is delaying the transportation of 18 captured Cambodian soldiers amid the Southeast Asian nations’ simmering borderline struggle owed to alleged breaches of a renewed truce agreement, arsenic the ceasefire passed the 72-hour people that was expected to trigger their release.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said connected Tuesday that Bangkok had reconsidered the timing of the handover of the captured soldiers pursuing the intrusion of Cambodian drones into Thai airspace connected Sunday night.

“The information of day and clip ‌of the merchandise depends connected the information side,” helium said astatine a quality conference, adding that the handover could “happen soon”.

Thailand’s subject had previously accused Cambodia of violating the presumption of the ceasefire implicit the drone issue, saying connected Monday that much than 250 drones had entered its territory connected Sunday night.

Asked astir the hold successful the soldiers’ ‌release, Cambodian authorities spokesperson Pen Bona said the concern was being monitored, and the authorities had nary absorption yet, the Reuters quality bureau reported.

The handover of the troops, captured earlier successful the latest outbreak of fighting betwixt the 2 countries, was to person taken spot if the ceasefire, which came into effect astatine noon (05:00 GMT) connected Saturday, was observed for 72 hours.

The truce has held truthful far, halting ‍20 days of warring that killed much than 100 radical and displaced much than fractional a cardinal connected some sides, though the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a ceremonial protestation to Cambodia ⁠after a Thai worker mislaid a limb connected Monday successful a landmine blast astatine a borderline area.

Landmine incidents were among the triggers for the latest outbreak of the conflict, which roared backmost into beingness past period aft 5 days of warring successful July that were halted by a truce brokered by the United States and Malaysia.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said earlier connected Tuesday that the ceasefire was fragile and needed some sides to debar inflaming tensions.

“The ceasefire has lone conscionable been agreed, truthful determination is fragility,” Sihasak told reporters. “We should debar instigation oregon things that could diminish the ceasefire,” helium said.

Many stay displaced contempt ceasefire

Reporting from the Cambodian metropolis of Poipet, adjacent the borderline with Thailand, Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig said an uneasy calm had descended amid the ceasefire.

Hundreds of radical had gathered successful the heat, waiting for the organisation of indispensable assistance amidst the truce.

While immoderate Cambodians were returning to their homes, others said they were excessively frightened oregon incapable to.

“[Some] accidental they volition enactment enactment successful the [internally displaced persons] camps due to the fact that they’re inactive not definite that this ceasefire volition hold,” helium said.

“They’ve seen ceasefires before. They’ve seen them interruption down before.”

Others, helium said, could not instrumentality location due to the fact that Thai troops remained positioned successful oregon adjacent their villages, portion for others, their homes had been destroyed successful the fighting.

Under the presumption of Saturday’s ceasefire agreement, the 2 sides agreed for their troops to stay successful their existent positions.

“Whilst determination is calm … cipher present is calling this ceasefire unchangeable oregon imperishable yet,” said Baig.