BANGKOK, Oct 29 — Thailand is ready to repatriate 18 Cambodian prisoners of war (POWs) in accordance with international principles if Cambodia demonstrates sincere and tangible cooperation on four key issues.
Royal Thai Army spokesperson Major General Winthai Suwaree said Thailand’s consideration of releasing the POWs would be based strictly on international law and humanitarian principles.
“It will take into account whether the level of hostility between the two sides has clearly decreased, as reflected through the implementation of four agreed measures — the withdrawal of heavy weapons from border areas, mine clearance, suppression of transnational criminal networks, and management of border areas,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
On Sunday, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet signed the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord, witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and United States President Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur.
In the joint declaration, both sides agreed to implement military de-escalation under the observation and verification of the Asean Observer Team (AOT), including the removal of heavy and destructive weapons and equipment from border areas and their return to normal military installations.
Meanwhile, Winthai said both sides had begun drafting an action plan with a defined timeframe, and that some activities had already commenced.
“For example, both countries withdrew tanks from border areas on Oct 26. Although this was primarily a symbolic gesture in line with the outcomes of the Asean Summit, it marked the beginning of the practical implementation of the agreement,” he said.
He added that the secretariat of the Regional Border Committee (RBC), comprising Thailand’s Second Army Area and Cambodia’s Fourth Military Region, held a meeting on October 28 to finalise procedures for troop adjustments and the withdrawal of heavy weapons, as well as to set a framework and timeline for joint operations in a systematic manner.
Regarding mine clearance, Winthai said Thailand has proposed 13 initial operational areas under the responsibility of the First Army Area, Second Army Area, and the Chanthaburi-Trat Border Defence Command.
“Operations have already begun in four of these areas and will gradually expand to others, particularly between boundary markers 42 and 47. Once the areas are deemed safe, a survey process will begin to establish temporary boundary markers and verify land ownership so that local communities can safely utilise the land,” he said.
On efforts to combat transnational crime networks and scam operations, Winthai said the government has tasked the Royal Thai Police and the Ministry of Interior with leading the operations.
“They have shared target information with the Cambodian authorities and established a Joint Task Force to continuously monitor and address the issue,” he said.
Winthai added that the Thai side will continue to monitor the progress of the agreed measures through existing bilateral mechanisms — the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC), General Border Committee (GBC) and RBC.
“If the agreed measures fail to yield tangible and sufficient results, the Royal Thai Army may consider implementing additional steps within the framework of law and international principles to uphold its commitment to protecting national sovereignty and interests,” he said. — Bernama
