Cambodia Urges Thailand to Free Detained Soldiers Amid Ongoing Truce

On Thursday, Cambodia alleged that Thailand detained 20 of its soldiers and killed one more in incidents following the ceasefire, while a fragile peace continued for the third consecutive day along their contested border.

Last week, five days of fierce fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbors resulted in at least 43 deaths—many of them civilians—and forced over 300,000 people to flee, until a ceasefire negotiated in Malaysia on Monday brought the violence to a halt.

Since then, Thailand has accused Cambodian forces of repeatedly breaching the ceasefire, a claim rejected by Phnom Penh officials, who counter that the Thai military has unlawfully detained several Cambodian soldiers.

“We urge the Thai side to immediately release all 20 of our personnel, along with any others who may be in their custody,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stated on Thursday.

Senior Cambodian defense official Lieutenant General Rath Dararoth stated in a release that one Cambodian soldier died while in Thai custody following the ceasefire, and his body has been returned. No additional information was provided.

Thai Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri informed reporters that Thailand is currently holding 20 Cambodian soldiers who surrendered, including two who are receiving medical treatment.

“We are conducting investigations to confirm the facts. Once completed, they will be released,” said Thailand’s Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, emphasizing that the Thai military has upheld the ceasefire agreement.

Following Monday’s truce announcement, military commanders from Thailand and Cambodia agreed to arrange the return of injured soldiers and the bodies of the deceased, as well as to avoid sending additional troops to the border.

On Wednesday, Cambodia brought military attaches and diplomats to a border checkpoint to confirm the ceasefire, amid ongoing mutual accusations of ceasefire violations.

For many years, Thailand and Cambodia have disputed several undefined areas along their 817-kilometer (508-mile) land border, with the ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th-century Preah Vihear remaining at the heart of the conflict.

The recent ceasefire came after efforts by Malaysia and phone calls from U.S. President Donald Trump to the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia, warning that ongoing fighting could jeopardize future trade agreements.

Both nations are subject to a 36% tariff on goods exported to the U.S., which is their largest trading partner.

In an early Thursday interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed that trade agreements had been reached with both countries before the August 1 tariff deadline.