Thailand releases 18 Cambodian soldiers detained since July

Thailand has freed 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July during deadly border clashes as part of a ceasefire agreed by the two countries on Saturday.

The handover was delayed by a day due to Thai concerns over alleged ceasefire violations, but took place after sustained Chinese diplomatic pressure to ensure compliance with the agreement.

Simmering tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border exploded earlier this month and lasted for weeks, forcing nearly a million people from their homes.

Saturday’s deal saw both sides agree to freeze the front lines where they currently are, ban reinforcements and allow civilians living in border areas to return as soon as possible.

The 18 Cambodian soldiers, dressed in civilian clothes, were greeted by well-wishers as they were escorted over a border checkpoint and handed over to Cambodian authorities.

Their captivity since July – during a previous round of deadly clashes – has inflamed nationalist sentiment in Cambodia, with their release one of the government’s main demands in ceasefire negotiations with Thailand.

On Wednesday, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said the release of the soldiers was a “show of goodwill” and that it hoped Cambodia would “reciprocate this goodwill with concrete actions.”

Cambodia confirmed the return of its troops, and its defense ministry said it “remained hopeful” that it would help build “mutual trust.”

One of the conditions of the ceasefire was that the 18 soldiers had to be handed over within 72 hours, or Tuesday at noon local time. But that was delayed after Bangkok accused Phnom Penh of violating the truce by sending more than 250 unmanned aerial vehicles to Thailand on Sunday.

Despite Thailand’s complaints, the latest ceasefire so far appears to be holding.

Disagreement over the border dates back more than a century, but tensions rose earlier this year after a group of Cambodian women sang patriotic songs at a disputed temple.

A Cambodian soldier was killed during a clash in May. Then, in July, five days of intense fighting along the border left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. Thousands more civilians have been displaced.

The two countries agreed to a fragile ceasefire in July and signed it in October, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. But the ceasefire collapsed when new tensions erupted earlier this month, with both sides blaming each other for the breakdown.