(Phnom Penh): Thomas Andrews, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, said he was deeply moved by the suffering of Cambodian civilians displaced by the border conflict with Thailand, urging both countries to uphold international law and ensure the safe, voluntary, and unobstructed return of displaced families to their homes.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday (Jul. 31), Andrews underscored that international law guarantees the right of people displaced by armed conflict to return to their homes.

Andrews visited Cambodia’s provinces along the border from 20 to 31 July to assess firsthand the situation of Cambodian civilians who had been displaced and lost their homes as a result of the armed conflict.

“Respect for international law is an important pillar of any effective response to human rights challenges. It is also a pillar on which, as Cambodian government officials told me, a just resolution to the border conflict with Thailand can be built. I travelled to the border to see the impact of this conflict for myself and meet with those whose lives have been upended by the conflict,” he said.

He highlighted that after meeting with the provincial governor and receiving a comprehensive briefing, he visited a relocation site constructed by Cambodian authorities and watched as children lined up for their morning breakfast at the World Food Programme meal programme.

“Most powerfully, I visited with families who described, often with tears, all that they had lost, including mothers who talked about the horror of their village being bombed or the heartbreak of their home being destroyed by a bulldozer. Approximately 650,000 Cambodian civilians were displaced in border regions at the end of last year, of whom more than 20,000 remain displaced,” he underlined.

“I spoke to civilians who told me that they were unable to return to their homes because their villages and towns are now occupied by Thai soldiers. I travelled to the edge of a border town and viewed the barriers and the barbed wire that prevent residents, including some of those with whom I spoke, from returning to their homes. I saw houses riddled with bullet holes, destroyed workshops and warehouses, and even an unexploded bomb among the ruins,” he said.

He noted that the December 27 ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia stipulates that civilians be allowed to return to their homes and livelihoods safely and without obstruction.

“It is imperative that Thailand and Cambodia work together to expedite the return of displaced civilians,” Andrew added.

Approximately 650,000 Cambodian civilians were displaced in border regions at the end of last year, of whom more than 20,000 remain displaced.
=FRESH NEWS