Thailand calls on Cambodia to respectfully recover the remains of deceased soldiers
Thailand Urges Cambodia to Retrieve Unclaimed Soldiers' Bodies Ahead of Border Talks
In preparation for the upcoming General Border Committee (GBC) talks in Malaysia, the Deputy Defence Minister of Thailand, Gen Nattapon Narkphanit, has made an urgent appeal to Cambodia to retrieve the bodies of fallen Cambodian soldiers left along their shared border.
The appeal comes as Thailand has already collected and repatriated the bodies of Cambodian soldiers found on Thai soil with military honour, in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. However, many Cambodian soldiers' bodies remain unrecovered on the Cambodian side.
Gen Nattapon expressed regret that Cambodia has neither acknowledged nor retrieved many of these bodies, which he considers necessary to honour the fallen and respect their dignity. He emphasized that the failure to retrieve the bodies not only disrespects the dead but also poses potential health and environmental concerns to nearby villages.
In a recent tripartite teleconference with Malaysian Defence Minister Khaled Nordin, Gen Nattapon Nakpanich, the Acting Defence Minister of Thailand, made the appeal to the Cambodian Defence Minister, Gen Tea Seiha. He urged Cambodia to retrieve the bodies "not only out of respect for the deceased but also for public health," as decomposing bodies could cause disease outbreaks among civilians living near the border.
Regarding the application of international humanitarian law, specifically the Geneva Conventions, Thailand asserts that it has complied by returning bodies found on its soil with military honour, fulfilling obligations related to the respectful treatment and repatriation of war dead. The Geneva Conventions require humane treatment and respect for the dead even amid conflict, which Thailand claims to observe.
The Cambodian government initially denied that the bodies belonged to its troops but eventually accepted their return. Health officials in Thailand have investigated complaints about the decomposing corpses but found no serious risk of epidemic or pollution, though the smell causes discomfort for Thai troops near the border.
In summary, Thailand has repatriated fallen Cambodian troops found on Thai territory with respect under the Geneva Conventions. Thailand calls on Cambodia to retrieve its soldiers' bodies left unrecovered in Cambodian border areas to honour the dead and prevent health issues. Cambodia's delay or denial of responsibility for retrieving these bodies has caused diplomatic and humanitarian concern. The Geneva Conventions guide the respectful handling and repatriation of war dead, and Thailand claims to comply fully. As of now, there is no indication of formal appeal proceedings yet, with ongoing diplomatic and military urging by Thailand for Cambodia to act ahead of the upcoming border talks.
In the context of international relations and war-and-conflicts, Thailand has urged Cambodia to retrieve the bodies of unclaimed soldiers left along the border, with the upcoming General Border Committee (GBC) talks serving as a crucial platform for discussion. This appeal is made to avoid health and environmental concerns for nearby villages, emphasizing the importance of crime-and-justice and general news in upholding international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions, which require respect for the dead. The Cambodian government's delay or denial of responsibility for retrieving these bodies has garnered diplomatic and humanitarian concern, as Thailand strives to comply fully with the Geneva Conventions.
