Disclosure of soldiers’ identities is outside Bangkok’s responsibility

Thailand has explained its decision not to make public details or images of the 18 Cambodian soldiers, who were detained by Thai forces in late July and held until their release and repatriation yesterday, saying that, under international humanitarian laws and conventions, their dignity and safety must be protected while in custody.

The Thailand-Cambodia Joint Border Information Centre issued the statement yesterday, after Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet shared photos of the repatriated PoWs with their faces visible.

The centre said the Thai authorities have kept the soldiers’ identities confidential throughout their detention, in accordance with the requirements of the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

Combat detainees must not be exposed to public curiosity or used for propaganda purposes. Any disclosure that could identify them would violate Thailand’s responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions.

The centre stressed, however, that the responsibility only applies while detainees are in Thai custody. Once they have been released, decisions about their public identification rest with Cambodia and the soldiers themselves.