Geneva (ICRC) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) welcomes the recent ceasefire announced by Thailand and Cambodia and reiterates its readiness to conduct further detainee visits.
The announcement follows recent hostilities along the countries' joint border that resulted in deaths, injuries, displacement of persons and damage to key infrastructure. The ceasefire offers some respite to those affected by the hostilities, which saw families flee their homes, lose loved ones and access to necessities. Our priority lies in addressing the needs of the people affected and this is central to our dialogue with the authorities.
The ICRC is mandated by the international community, under the Geneva Conventions, to ensure that International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is respected. This includes the right to visit prisoners of war and civilian internees who are protected by the Geneva Conventions. This week, our team was able to visit 18 Cambodian POWs detained in Thailand. As a neutral, impartial and independent organization, our work in places of detention is based on a long-standing principle of confidentiality and bilateral dialogue with the detaining authorities. This approach builds trust and allows for frank, open conversations with both the people we visit and the authorities in charge. It is essential for gaining and maintaining access to people in need. The ICRC does not publicly confirm its findings or observations from these visits. This principle is a cornerstone of our work, crucial for the security of the people we assist and our staff, and ensuring the continued access we need to carry out our mandate.
We are working alongside both the Cambodian and Thai Red Cross Societies, as well as other Red Cross Red Crescent partners. The ICRC is ready to support both nations to carry out similar future detainee visits and act as neutral intermediary in any planned releases. We stand ready to scale up our support as needed and urge continued respect for IHL, which includes access to persons detained in relation to the conflict.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
