Thailand delays POW return, accuses Cambodia of ceasefire breach

[BANGKOK] Thailand is still considering when to release 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July, delaying a decision originally expected by midday Tuesday (Dec 30), over accusations that Cambodia breached the terms of a recent ceasefire. 

As part of the most recent agreement to pause fighting, which took effect on Saturday, Bangkok said it would consider repatriating the prisoner of wars (POWs) if the halt holds for 72 hours.

But it is now reconsidering the timing of the release, after Cambodia violated the terms of the agreement by infringing on Thai airspace, Nikorndej Balankura, foreign ministry spokesman, said in a briefing. 

The Thai army on Monday said that more than 250 drones flew into its airspace on Sunday night from Cambodia at multiple border points, describing it as a “provocation” and a violation of the deal.

Cambodia denied the accusation and imposed a nationwide drone ban. Thailand also said that a soldier was maimed in a land mine blast on Dec 27.

Nikorndej added that the defence ministries of both countries have been in contact.

Fighting in July and again earlier this month along their shared 800 km frontier has left dozens dead, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people living close to the border.

While the origins of the conflict can be traced to territorial disputes over colonial-era maps, the recent fighting has also been fuelled by nationalist sentiment and a complex battle over so-called scam compounds in Cambodia. 

Both the US and China have sought to end the hostilities, which US President Donald Trump has been demanding since the July surge in violence, to halt fighting or face higher tariffs.

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Beijing has recently been seeking a more public role as a mediator, and has tried to contrast its approach to diplomacy with Trump’s threats. 

Thailand captured the soldiers shortly after a late-July ceasefire was declared, and has maintained that they would only be released after hostilities cease. Cambodia has said that the soldiers were unlawfully detained. BLOOMBERG