CHRC Chief Calls for UN Action to Free 18 Cambodian Soldiers Held in Thailand

CHRC Chief Calls for UN Action to Free 18 Cambodian Soldiers Held in Thailand

Phnom Penh, October 3, 2025 – H.E Keo Remy, President of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC), has called on Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to urgently intervene regarding the continued unlawful detention and forced repatriation of Cambodian soldiers by the Thai military.

In a letter sent on October 2, 2025, the Committee reiterated concerns raised in its earlier urgent appeal dated August 1, 2025, which highlighted Thailand’s unlawful detention, mistreatment, and forced return of only two Cambodian soldiers out of the 20 who were originally held. As of October 3, a total of 18 Cambodian soldiers remain in Thai custody, marking 66 days since their detention—despite the bilateral ceasefire agreement that officially came into effect at midnight on July 28, 2025.

CHRC urged the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), whose mandate is to promote and protect human rights, to engage immediately with the Royal Thai Government to secure the unconditional release and safe repatriation of all 18 Cambodian soldiers in accordance with international law.

The letter further stressed that any lack of timely and concrete action could be interpreted as acquiescence or indifference to violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Such inaction, the Committee warned, not only undermines the rights and dignity of the Cambodian soldiers but also sets a dangerous precedent of impunity that risks weakening the credibility and effectiveness of the international human rights protection system.