Salesian youth in Cambodia and Thailand have called for “humility, wisdom, and dialogue” as a fragile ceasefire faces disputes over captured soldiers and alleged violations along the border.
“We ask every man and woman, every child and elderly person with a good heart, to overcome conflict and choose the path of humility, wisdom, and dialogue,” the youth said in a joint statement.
The truce, mediated by the Malaysian government and backed by U.S. diplomatic pressure, began on the evening of July 28 after five days of clashes over contested temples along the 800-kilometer border.
The fighting, the deadliest in decades, killed at least 43 people from both sides and forced nearly 300,000 to flee their homes.
Despite the ceasefire, Cambodia has called on Thailand to return 20 soldiers captured hours after the agreement took effect.
“We will do our best to continue negotiations with the Thai side in order to bring all our soldiers back home safely and as soon possible,” said Cambodian defense ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata. “We call on the Thai side to send all 20 military personnel back to Cambodia as soon possible.”
Thailand said the soldiers are being treated according to international humanitarian law and would be released when the border situation stabilizes.
Meanwhile, the UN human rights chief Volker Turk urged both countries to “fully respect” the truce “in good faith” and to “take rapid steps to build confidence and peace.”
In response to the crisis, young Salesians launched “Meditation for Peace with Don Bosco, our Common Father,” an initiative rooted in Buddhist and Christian values of compassion, nonviolence, and reconciliation.
According to the Salesians, the effort emphasizes their “shared spiritual heritage: Buddhist mindfulness and nonviolence, along with the Christian and Salesian vocation to reconciliation and service.”
The youth leaders also warned against “a dirty digital war,” urging their peers to counter misinformation with “love, tolerance, and courage.”
“Peace does not require silence, but courage. May our shared history and faith be a bridge, not a barrier,” they declared.
As negotiations for the release of the detained soldiers continue, the young Cambodians and Thais reminded the world that “peace is not born in conference rooms, but in the hearts of those who have the courage to imagine it.”
