Defence minister Tea Seiha (left) and his Thai counterpart, Nattaphon Nakpanich, during a Special GBC meeting of Dec 27. - PPP
PHNOM PENH: Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha expects the Thai side to act in accordance with the spirit of the special General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, in which both sides agreed to a ceasefire starting at noon on Dec 26 and to release 18 captured Cambodian soldiers 72 hours after the implementation of the ceasefire.
Seiha announced that once the ceasefire has been fully implemented for 72 hours, the 18 Cambodian soldiers will be released and returned to Cambodia, in line with the spirit of the Kuala Lumpur Joint Statement signed on Oct 26.
“I hope the Thai side will implement the spirit of this special meeting with transparency and sincerity, and respect the ceasefire for the peace of the armed forces and the people of both countries. We must work together to rebuild trust and return to normalcy,” he said, via social media.
He also expressed hope that the upcoming year, 2026, will be filled with peace, safety and well-being for the citizens of both Cambodia and Thailand, resulting from the observance of the ceasefire.
On Dec 27, there was a misunderstanding that the ceasefire was only for a duration of 72 hours. This confusion was clarified by Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra, who explained that the ceasefire is intended to be long-term, leading toward genuine peace, while the 72-hour condition applies specifically to the release of the 18 Cambodian soldiers. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
