Cambodia on Dec 10 withdrew its entire delegation from the ongoing SEA Games in Thailand, citing serious safety concerns and urgent pleas from athletes’ families for their immediate return.
The withdrawal was formalised in a letter from National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) secretary-general Vath Chamroeun to Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) chief executive officer Chaiyapak Siriwat, reportedly sent at 10.30am the same day.
The letter did not spell out the exact nature of the safety concerns, but the decision comes amid rising unease over escalating tensions along the border with Thailand.
“Due to serious concerns and requests from the families of our athletes to have their relatives return home immediately, NOCC must withdraw all of our delegation and arrange for their prompt return to Cambodia for safety reasons,” Mr Chamroeun wrote.
He said the decision was not taken lightly, and expressed appreciation for the “hospitality, warmth and spirit of sportsmanship extended to our athletes” by the Games organisers.
He added that the NOCC would coordinate with the SEAGF to manage the logistics of the Cambodian contingent’s departure.
Cambodia’s 110-strong athlete contingent had been registered to compete in 12 sports at the Dec 9-20 Games, after pulling out of nine sports – including football and volleyball – in November.
The Cambodian team attended the opening ceremony in Bangkok on Dec 9 and had been scheduled to compete in swimming, gymnastics and martial arts events such as taekwondo and ju-jitsu on Dec 10.
Relations between Thailand and Cambodia have been strained since military clashes erupted along their shared border, where more than 40 people were killed during five days of fighting in July.
A ceasefire brokered in Kuala Lumpur in October was effectively halted in November, after a landmine blast injured Thai soldiers, raising new doubts about security along the frontier.
