Joint Statement: Release the 18 Cambodian Prisoners of War

Aug 29 August 2025

Bangkok/Phnom Penh, Friday, 29 August 2025- We, the undersigned Cambodian and Thai civil society groups, urge the Thai government to immediately and unconditionally release the 18 Cambodian soldiers who are today marking one month of detention in Thailand, allowing them to return to their country and reunite with their families and loved ones.

The 18 soldiers were taken into custody on 29 July 2025. The Royal Thai Army and the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs have identified them as Prisoners of War (POWs). We are encouraged that the Thai army facilitated the International Committee of the Red Cross visiting these soldiers. However, POWs must be released at the end of active hostilities. Cambodia and Thailand have now had a ceasefire since 28 July. These soldiers must be returned home.

The ongoing detention of these men only serves to inflame tensions on both sides and prevents the reconciliation that both neighbours need to undergo to build a lasting and sustainable peace. We urge the Royal Thai Army and Thai government to take an important step toward promoting peace by releasing and returning the 18 Cambodian soldiers immediately.

The following is the full joint statement in Khmer, English, and Thai: