Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Senate President, stated this morning that the 18 Cambodian soldiers still being held in Thailand have been honored as “national martyrs” since the moment they were arrested. This arrest happened just hours after a ceasefire (agreement to stop fighting) began at midnight on July 28, 2025.
Speaking in Phnom Penh, Mr. Hun Sen called the situation a very serious humanitarian issue. He stressed that these soldiers “sacrificed for the nation” from the instant they were taken away.
He believes it was clear from the very beginning that the detained soldiers were being held to be used in political negotiations.
“From the first hours of their detention, it was clear they would be used for some kind of exchange,” he said. “From that moment, I regarded our brothers as martyrs, because their capture would certainly be linked to political conditions.”
The Senate President also questioned the silence of the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia, Vitit Muntarbhorn, who is Thai.
“Where is international law in this world? The Special Rapporteur has not said a single word,” he noted.
Mr. Hun Sen added that Thailand’s failure to release the soldiers, even after promising to do so on November 12, proves that the detentions are politically motivated.
He concluded: “This decision made it clear—they are connecting them to border issues and may keep using them in the future,” while showing his full support for the families of the soldiers being held.