រំភើប​ស្រក់ទឹក​ភ្នែក ទីបំផុត វីរកងទ័ពកម្ពុជាទាំង១៨នាក់ បាន​មកដល់មាតុភូមិវិញហេីយ

Thailand frees 18 Cambodian soldiers under new ceasefire deal

On the afternoon of December 31, 2025, a cry rang out at Phnom Penh International Airport. This was not a cry of sorrow, but a cry of joy, excitement, and emotion from the relatives of the 18 Cambodian soldiers who were reunited with their children, husbands, fathers, and brothers after being released by Thailand to their homeland after more than 150 days of detention.

In addition to the relatives who came to receive them, there were also senior government officials who waited at Phnom Penh International Airport after they left Battambang Province by helicopter to arrive in Phnom Penh. Outside Phnom Penh International Airport, a large crowd of citizens lined the streets to warmly welcome them. Indeed, from the moment they left the Thai border crossing into Cambodia in Pailin Province, citizens had been waiting in large numbers to welcome them until they boarded the helicopter in Battambang Province.

Citizens who were not able to welcome them in person also posted messages of welcome on social media with great joy, thinking that all the heroes had already lost their lives. However, on December 31, 2025, the presence of the 18 heroes could be considered a good thing that happened at the end of the old year before the new year. The greetings, whether in person or posted on social media, show that the Cambodian people have not forgotten the 18 heroes. On the contrary, they are still waiting patiently and painfully for their return today.

It is worth noting that the 18 Cambodian heroes were returned to Cambodia by the Thai side at approximately 10 a.m. on December 31, 2025 through the international border crossing in Pailin province after being illegally arrested and detained by Thai soldiers on July 29, 2025. According to the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers back to Cambodia was made under the agreement in the Joint Declaration of the 3rd Special Meeting of the General Boundary Committee (GBC) between Cambodia and Thailand, which was signed on December 27, 2025. The return of the 18 soldiers was also observed by the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
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