Thailand urges Cambodia to retrieve bodies of fallen soldiers with dignity
Thailand urges Cambodia to retrieve fallen troops’ bodies with dignity to avoid disease and honour the dead, amid border tensions and Geneva Convention concerns.
Acting Defence Minister Gen Nattapon Nakpanich has called on his Cambodian counterpart to uphold the dignity of fallen troops by retrieving the bodies of Cambodian soldiers left to decompose along the conflict-ridden border, rather than abandoning them on the battlefield.
Appeal for respect and hygiene at the frontline
Speaking on Monday, Gen Nattapon said he raised the issue with Cambodian Defence Minister Gen Tea Seiha during a tripartite teleconference with Malaysian Defence Minister Khaled Nordin on Sunday. The meeting was held in preparation for the upcoming General Border Committee (GBC) talks in Malaysia.
Nattapon expressed concern that numerous bodies of Cambodian soldiers remained uncollected along the Cambodian side of the border.
“I urged Cambodia to retrieve the bodies—not only out of respect for the deceased but also for public health. The decomposing bodies could cause disease outbreaks among civilians living near the border,” he said.
Thailand returns fallen troops in line with international law
Nattapon emphasised that although the two sides were in conflict, Thai soldiers continued to treat fallen Cambodian troops with honour.
“When we found the bodies of Cambodian soldiers on Thai soil, our troops collected and returned them to Cambodia. That’s in line with the Geneva Conventions,” he said.
He lamented that the Cambodian government initially denied the bodies belonged to its troops but eventually accepted their return.
“I feel sorry for the Cambodian soldiers. If their souls knew they were denied even basic dignity, they would be deeply saddened,” he added.
Stench from corpses disrupts Thai soldiers at the frontline
Thai soldiers stationed near the frontline have reported severe distress from the foul odour of decaying bodies left unattended on the Cambodian side.
Soldiers stationed atop Phu Ma Kua said the stench was so strong they could barely eat and had to wear surgical masks constantly.
Cambodia accused of misinformation over captured soldiers
Nattapon also addressed Cambodia’s accusation that Thailand mistreated 18 captured Cambodian soldiers.
He told Tea Seiha that the captured troops—found on Thai territory—were treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. Their well-being has been confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other international observers.
“Thailand has not tortured or mistreated them as claimed,” Nattapon said.
He added that the Thai government had not yet returned the 18 captured soldiers due to mistrust of Cambodia’s handling of facts.
“We must first complete proper interrogations and documentation. Cambodia has repeatedly distorted the truth, and we need clear evidence to prevent future misinformation,” he said.
