—
The president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (AmCham),
Casey Barnett, warned Friday that Thailand is violating international
humanitarian law by continuing to detain 18 Cambodian soldiers more than
120 days after fighting ended along the border.
In
a statement posted on Facebook, Barnett said Thailand’s detention
breaches Article 118 of the Third Geneva Convention, which requires
prisoners of war to be released and repatriated “without delay” once
hostilities cease.
Barnett
accused Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul of using the soldiers as
leverage for political and strategic concessions unrelated to the
cessation of hostilities — a move he described as a deliberate violation
of humanitarian norms.
According
to Barnett, Anutin conditioned the release on Cambodia withdrawing
troops, clearing landmines, cracking down on online scam operations, and
resettling Cambodians accused of encroaching on Thai territory. He
argued those demands contradict the Oct. 26 Peace Agreement.
Barnett
cited Article 5 of the agreement, which states: “In a demonstration of
Thailand’s intention to promote confidence and trust, the Thai side is
firmly committed to releasing the prisoners of war without delay.”
It
has been 123 days since the Cambodian soldiers were captured and placed
under Thai military custody. On Thursday, the Royal Government of
Cambodia renewed its appeal, urging Thailand to honor the peace
agreement “strictly, honestly, and in good faith.”
The
government emphasized that paragraph 5 of the Joint Declaration leaves
no ambiguity: “The Thai side must promptly release the 18 Cambodian
soldiers.”
In its statement, the
government reaffirmed it is pursuing all diplomatic and legal channels
to secure the soldiers’ return. “The Royal Government, the Ministry of
National Defence, and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces will never
abandon any of our troops under any circumstances,” it said.
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By: In Sopheng
©KPT English
1 comment:
Thailand is trying to take full advantage of Hun Sen's weakness and stupidity.
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