Thailand and Cambodia have brought their renewed border row to a meeting of the United Nations’ mine ban treaty in Geneva in a race to gain international support as their ties continue to unravel.
Bangkok and Phnom Penh have appealed to the international community on their divergent positions at the meeting of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which is running from Monday to Friday.
On the sidelines of the convention, Cambodian Senior Minister Ly Thuch reportedly met International Committee of the Red Cross vice-president Gilles Carbonnier and urged his organisation to closely monitor the status of 18 Cambodian soldiers detained by Thai forces, demanding their release and for Thailand to honour its commitments under bilateral agreements and international law.
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Thuch, who also serves as the First Vice-President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, argued the Thai detention of Cambodian soldiers was “unlawful”, and that they had been detained for 125 days as of Monday.
He also urged the Red Cross to apply stronger international pressure to coax Thailand to fulfil its obligation to release the soldiers under the Cambodia-Thailand peace agreement immediately.
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Bangkok, however, last month announced it was suspending the deal after blaming Phnom Penh for a landmine blast along their border that had severely injured a Thai soldier.