ICRC assists detained Cambodian soldiers in communicating with their families through letter exchanges

ICRC assists detained Cambodian soldiers in communicating with their families through letter exchanges

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has organised the exchange of letters between 18 Cambodian soldiers detained by the Thai military and their families in Cambodia.

According to a press release from the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC), the ICRC delivered written messages from the soldiers’ families during a visit to the detention site last week. The ICRC also collected confidential letters from the soldiers and handed them over to the CRC yesterday, at a meeting between CRC Secretary-General Pum Chantinie and Jurg Montanii, Head of the ICRC Regional Delegation in Thailand. The CRC will ensure the letters reach the families of the detained soldiers.

The ICRC stated that the exchange of letters between the 18 detained Cambodian soldiers and their families is carried out in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

Yu Lana, the Deputy Secretary-General of the CRC, said that family messages are private. Only the author and their family can see them; even CRC staff cannot access this information because it is protected. He also said that the CRC cannot release clear images of the 18 detained soldiers, as they must follow international humanitarian law.

According to the CRC press release, under the Geneva Conventions, all parties involved in international armed conflicts must ensure that hostages and their families can stay in contact and remain informed about each other. The Red Cross message is essential in maintaining family links, focusing exclusively on family-related information.

-Khmer Times-