As of 3:33 p.m. on July 31, Thailand had yet to return 20 Cambodian soldiers. At an afternoon briefing on the implementation of the Cambodia–Thailand ceasefire, Cambodian Defence Ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said Cambodia had urged Thailand to return the 20 soldiers and any other Cambodian personnel as soon as possible.
The spokeswoman said Cambodia would continue negotiations and do everything it could to bring all of its personnel home as soon as possible and safely. She said the Cambodian armed forces remained fully committed to working with Thailand to build a border region marked by peace, stability, cooperation and development.
According to the Cambodian account, Thai soldiers invited Cambodian soldiers to pose for a group photo on July 29. Thai personnel hidden in the forest then emerged and detained the Cambodian soldiers at gunpoint. The Cambodian account places the incident at Chong Tae Pass while the Cambodia–Thailand ceasefire was in effect. The Cambodian government spokesman officially announced on the morning of July 31 that 21 Cambodian personnel had been detained, one had died, and the Thai military had handed over the body.
Preah Sihanouk Provincial Television | By: ង៉ែត ពិសាន្ត
