Cambodia urged to honour its dead and collect their bodies
Gen Nattapon said at Government House on Monday morning that he had informed the Cambodian defence minister during their meeting in Malaysia on Sunday that many Cambodian soldiers had been killed and their bodies had not been retrieved but were left at the Thai frontier.
The bodies should be properly collected to honour their sacrifice and in respect for their dignity, the deputy defence minister said.
Gen Nattapon said Thailand had properly collected Cambodian soldiers' bodies and repatriated them with military honour, in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.
He felt sorry for the Cambodian dead, because their government denied they were Cambodian soldiers.
'I feel sorry for these Cambodian soldiers who lost their lives, sorry that the Cambodian government has rejected them… I am a military officer. Although we are conflicting parties, we must honour the deceased.
"We see the condition of these [dead] Cambodian soldiers, lying in front of us every day during patrols. So, I repeat my serious request to the Cambodian defence minister for their quick retrieval,' Gen Nattapon said.
Further delay in collecting the bodies would not only demean their honour and dignity but also pose a health threat to nearby Cambodian villages, Gen Nattapon said.
RAdm Surasant Kongsiri, spokesman for the Ad Hoc Centre for the Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation, said that by discarding its soldiers' bodies the Cambodian government violated international humanitarian norms, the dignity of the Cambodian armed forces and Cambodia's Buddhist and cultural practices concerning body disposal.
'Neglecting fallen soldiers reflects a sad disregard for the dignity of Cambodia's own armed forces. This, of course, damages the morale of Cambodian troops and affects the families of the deceased.
"A lot of family members are actually searching for loved ones, people who actually have been lost as a result of the armed conflict. So far, the Cambodian authorities have not shown any sign that they will help find the bodies of those lost ones," RAdm Surasant said.
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