Cambodia begins collecting bodies after Thai demand - Thai army commander

Second Army Region Commander Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang said today that he has contacted Cambodian forces, requesting that they retrieve the bodies from Cambodian territory near the border. He added that Cambodia has now begun collecting some of the remains.

Thai civilians and soldiers stationed in the border areas where Thai and Cambodian troops clashed late last month have complained about the smell from the decomposing bodies of Cambodian soldiers left behind.

Many have requested face masks to help cope with the odour.

Thailand has accused Cambodia of violating fundamental humanitarian and human rights principles by leaving the bodies of its fallen soldiers on the battlefield.

Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, spokesman for the ad hoc centre for the Thai-Cambodian situation, said the bodies of Cambodian soldiers are being left in the field, a clear sign that the Cambodian government and its military are neglecting their responsibility to recover and handle their fallen troops in an appropriate manner.

“This is not only immoral, but is also a clear breach of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention on the treatment and respect for the dead in armed conflict,” he said at a daily press conference.

Cambodia’s inaction, he said, dishonours its own military and reflects a disregard for the dignity of its fallen soldiers, a truly tragic and regrettable matter that affects the morale of surviving troops and their families.

It is also reported that the families of the deceased soldiers have been desperately seeking information about their missing loved ones.

Surasant repeated his call for Cambodia to respect the basic human rights of its own citizens, especially its soldiers.

Moreover, Surasant said this negligence contradicts Cambodian religious values, as most Cambodians are Buddhists, a faith that places high importance on the respectful treatment of the dead.

“The abandonment of bodies also poses cross-border environmental and hygiene risks, including foul odours and disease outbreaks, especially hazardous to troops and civilians along the border,” he said, noting that the smell of decomposition is so intense that it can even be detected on the Thai side of the border.