Ceasefire holds, but trust doesn’t: Thailand delays release of captured Cambodian soldiers

Thailand has delayed the handover of 18 captured Cambodian soldiers, citing alleged violations of a newly agreed ceasefire, underscoring how fragile the truce remains despite a formal halt to fighting along the border.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said on Tuesday that Bangkok had reconsidered the timing of the transfer after Cambodian drones allegedly crossed into Thai airspace on Sunday night.

“The consideration of date and time ‌of the release depends on the security side,” Nikorndej told a news conference, adding that the handover could “happen soon”.

Thailand’s military has accused Cambodia of breaching the ceasefire terms, claiming more than 250 drones entered Thai territory overnight. The truce, which came into force at noon on Saturday, stipulated that the soldiers would be released if calm held for 72 hours.

Asked about the delay, Cambodian government spokesperson Pen Bona said authorities were monitoring the situation and had no immediate reaction, according to Reuters.

The ceasefire has so far stopped 20 days of fighting that killed more than 100 people and displaced over half a million on both sides of the border. But tensions remain high. On Monday, Thailand lodged a formal protest after a Thai soldier lost a limb in a landmine explosion in a border area.

Landmines were among the triggers for the latest flare-up, which erupted last month after an earlier truce in July, brokered by the United States and Malaysia, collapsed after just five days.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow warned that the agreement remains vulnerable.

“The ceasefire has only just been agreed, so there is fragility,” he said. “We should avoid instigation or things that could diminish the ceasefire.”

On the ground, the calm is uneasy. Reporting from Poipet, near the Thai border, Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig said hundreds of displaced people were waiting in the heat for aid distribution.

Some Cambodians have begun returning home, but many are staying put.

“[Some] say they will stay put in the camps because they’re still not certain that this ceasefire will hold,” Baig said. “They’ve seen ceasefires before. They’ve seen them break down before.”

Others cannot return because Thai troops remain positioned near their villages or because homes were destroyed in the fighting. Under the ceasefire terms, both sides agreed to keep their forces in their current positions.

“Whilst there is calm … nobody here is calling this ceasefire stable or permanent yet,” Baig said.