Thailand Says Some Cambodian POWs Do Not Wish to Return as Release Nears
Deputy Defence Minister indicates certain Cambodian soldiers held in Thai custody may decline repatriation amid bilateral de-escalation efforts
Thailand’s Deputy Defence Minister, Lieutenant General Adul Boonthamcharoen, announced on Sunday that a number of the eighteen Cambodian prisoners of war (POWs) scheduled for release on 12 November have expressed that they do not wish to return to Cambodia and say they are content living in Thailand.
He stated that the repatriation process will proceed through a joint assessment by the ASEAN Observer Team alongside the Thai and Cambodian governments, and confirmed that if the four conditions outlined in the joint framework are fully met there would be no impediment to their release.
The detained soldiers were captured following the 29 July border clash in the Sam Tae area of Sisaket province, where the Thai military reported that Cambodian forces initiated hostilities.
The Thai side holds that legal and humanitarian procedures are being observed, including visiting rights by the International Committee of the Red Cross, while Cambodia has called for their immediate repatriation.
According to the Thai army’s condition-set for release, the four agreed measures include withdrawal of heavy weapons from the border, clearance of landmines, suppression of transnational crime networks along the frontier and effective joint border management.
The Kuala Lumpur joint declaration signed on 26 October formalised these de-escalation steps.
When queried on reports that the release would take place at Chanthaburi province’s border checkpoint, Lt Gen Adul said that no confirmation had yet been made, though the location is cited as a permanent Thailand–Cambodia border crossing.
He also addressed speculation that the United States or Malaysia had pressured Thailand regarding the POWs, dismissing such scenarios and reaffirming that the decision rests with the bilateral and ASEAN oversight processes.
The prospect of some detainees declining repatriation adds a new dimension to the already delicate diplomatic and military settlement.
Thailand’s stance emphasises the alignment of humanitarian treatment with national security and border-management imperatives, while Cambodia emphasises a swift repatriation of personnel as part of the confidence-building process.
The outcome of the assessment process and Thailand’s verification of the four measures will determine whether the hand-over proceeds on 12 November as planned.
He stated that the repatriation process will proceed through a joint assessment by the ASEAN Observer Team alongside the Thai and Cambodian governments, and confirmed that if the four conditions outlined in the joint framework are fully met there would be no impediment to their release.
The detained soldiers were captured following the 29 July border clash in the Sam Tae area of Sisaket province, where the Thai military reported that Cambodian forces initiated hostilities.
The Thai side holds that legal and humanitarian procedures are being observed, including visiting rights by the International Committee of the Red Cross, while Cambodia has called for their immediate repatriation.
According to the Thai army’s condition-set for release, the four agreed measures include withdrawal of heavy weapons from the border, clearance of landmines, suppression of transnational crime networks along the frontier and effective joint border management.
The Kuala Lumpur joint declaration signed on 26 October formalised these de-escalation steps.
When queried on reports that the release would take place at Chanthaburi province’s border checkpoint, Lt Gen Adul said that no confirmation had yet been made, though the location is cited as a permanent Thailand–Cambodia border crossing.
He also addressed speculation that the United States or Malaysia had pressured Thailand regarding the POWs, dismissing such scenarios and reaffirming that the decision rests with the bilateral and ASEAN oversight processes.
The prospect of some detainees declining repatriation adds a new dimension to the already delicate diplomatic and military settlement.
Thailand’s stance emphasises the alignment of humanitarian treatment with national security and border-management imperatives, while Cambodia emphasises a swift repatriation of personnel as part of the confidence-building process.
The outcome of the assessment process and Thailand’s verification of the four measures will determine whether the hand-over proceeds on 12 November as planned.
