The Thai army has repatriated two Cambodian soldiers from a group of 20 detained in the country, a Thai government spokesman said in Bangkok on Friday. The move comes days before a key meeting in Malaysia where defense ministers and military commanders from both sides will discuss measures to maintain a truce along the disputed border, reports "Reuters", quoted by News.bg.
The clashes between Thailand and Cambodia last week, which included artillery shelling and fighter jet air strikes, were the worst in a decade. At least 43 people have died and more than 300,000 have been forced to flee their homes.
A ceasefire was reached on Monday after diplomatic pressure from Malaysia and phone calls from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to end trade talks with the two countries if the fighting did not stop.
Until recently, both Thailand and Cambodia were subject to 36% tariffs on exports to the US, their largest foreign market. After further negotiations, the White House announced that the tariffs would be reduced to 19%.
Thai government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said that the remaining 18 Cambodian soldiers remained detained for immigration violations, but were being treated humanely.
For its part, the Cambodian Ministry of Defense demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, citing international humanitarian law.
The expected meeting between the defense ministers and senior military officials of the two countries will be held in Malaysia between August 4 and 7, instead of in Phnom Penh, at Bangkok's insistence on a neutral location. The meeting will be organized by the Joint Boundary Committee (GBC), which coordinates border security, ceasefires and troop deployments.
The meeting will also be attended by military attachés from ASEAN countries, as well as representatives from the United States and China.
The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia dates back decades and involves territorial claims to undefined sections of the 817-kilometer border. The ownership of ancient temple complexes remains a particularly sensitive issue. In May, a Cambodian soldier was killed in a gunfight, leading to an escalation that culminated in five days of fighting in late July.