Thailand returns two Cambodian troops in advance of key border talks

Cambodia demands instrumentality of much soldiers held by Thailand arsenic borderline tensions simmer betwixt the 2 countries.

Thailand has released 2 wounded Cambodian soldiers who were captured pursuing aggravated clashes adjacent a contested borderline area, arsenic the neighbours hole for talks adjacent week aimed astatine maintaining a shaky truce.

The soldiers were returned connected Friday done a checkpoint connecting Thailand’s Surin state and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey, the Cambodian Defence Ministry said.

Their homecoming comes amid continued accusations from some governments implicit alleged civilian targeting and breaches of planetary instrumentality during a five-day conflict that erupted past week.

Eighteen different Cambodian troops captured during skirmishes connected Tuesday, hours aft a ceasefire woody was reached, stay successful Thai custody.

“The wounded soldiers were returned done a designated borderline point,” said Maly Socheata, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s Defence Ministry, urging Bangkok to repatriate the remaining captured troops “in accordance with planetary humanitarian law”.

The 2 governments person provided starkly contrasting versions of the soldiers’ capture.

Phnom Penh says its troops approached Thai positions with peaceful intentions, offering post-conflict greetings. But Bangkok disputes that account, alleging the Cambodian soldiers crossed into Thai territory with evident hostility, prompting their detention.

Thai officials accidental they are adhering to ineligible protocols portion assessing the actions of the remaining soldiers. No timeline has been fixed for their release.

The ceasefire has done small to easiness simmering nationalist choler online, with societal media platforms successful some countries flooded by patriotic fervour and communal recriminations.

Meanwhile, some nations person taken overseas diplomats and observers connected guided tours of erstwhile combat zones. Each broadside has accused the different of inflicting damage, utilizing the visits to bolster their narratives.

The recent circular of violence progressive infantry clashes, Cambodian rocket fire, Thai aerial strikes, and artillery exchanges. The warring killed much than 30 people, including civilians, and forced much than 260,000 others from their homes.

Under the ceasefire terms, subject officials from some countries are owed to conscionable adjacent week successful Malaysia to sermon de-escalation measures.

However, these talks volition exclude the underlying territorial dispute, which has remained unresolved for decades.

The General Border Committee, which coordinates connected borderline security, ceasefires, and unit deployments, volition conscionable betwixt August 4 and 7, Thai acting Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit told reporters.

“Defence attaches from different ASEAN countries volition beryllium invited arsenic good arsenic the defence attaches from the US and China,” a Malaysian government spokesperson told reporters, referring to the Southeast Asian determination bloc that the state presently chairs.

Separately connected Friday, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said Phnom Penh intends to nominate United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his relation successful brokering the ceasefire.

Speaking earlier successful the capital, helium thanked Trump for “bringing peace” and insisted the US person deserved the award.

Similar nominations person precocious travel from Pakistan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, some citing Trump’s interventions successful determination disputes.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies