Cambodia Backs UN Rights Rapporteur’s Displacement Figures, Calls for Return of Border Residents
Cambodia Backs UN Rights Rapporteur’s Displacement Figures, Calls for Return of Border Residents
PHNOM PENH, 7 Aug 2026 — Cambodia has reaffirmed its commitment to resolving outstanding issues arising from the Cambodia-Thailand border situation through peaceful means and called for the immediate resumption of border survey and demarcation work to enable displaced civilians to return home.
In a statement issued on Friday in response to media inquiries following the recent mission to Cambodia by Thomas Andrews, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said Cambodia welcomed the Special Rapporteur’s End of Mission Statement and his first official mission under the mandate.
The ministry said Cambodia had provided Andrews with access to detention facilities, a displacement site and border areas, as well as facilitated meetings with officials at different levels and engagement with civil society and activists.
On the border situation, the ministry addressed figures cited in Andrews’ statement indicating that approximately 650,000 Cambodian civilians had been displaced from border areas at the end of 2025, with more than 20,000 still displaced.
Cambodia said the figures were consistent with data compiled through the field presence of United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners operating in the border region, including ongoing food and shelter programmes.
The statement acknowledged that Thai authorities had publicly disputed the precise figures, but said they had nevertheless confirmed that many Cambodian civilians had been displaced and remained unable to return to their homes due to what Cambodia described as Thailand’s unlawful occupation of Cambodian territory.
Cambodia said it welcomed continued independent verification of the situation by relevant agencies and accredited diplomatic missions and remained ready to facilitate further visits to affected areas.
Calls for implementation of return agreement
The Cambodian government also reaffirmed its commitment to the Joint Statement of December 27, 2025, particularly Point 4, under which Cambodia and Thailand committed to allowing civilians in affected border areas to return to their homes and normal livelihoods at the earliest opportunity, without obstruction and in safety and dignity.
Cambodia called for the immediate, full and effective implementation of that commitment through existing bilateral mechanisms.
In particular, it called for the prompt resumption of survey and demarcation work by the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), saying this was necessary to ensure that displaced civilians could return home.
The ministry said Cambodia would continue engaging with the UN Human Rights Council on matters raised by the Special Rapporteur and looked forward to a full and constructive discussion at the Council’s next session.
Cambodia also reiterated that it would seek to resolve all outstanding border issues through peaceful means, dialogue, existing treaties and bilateral agreements, and international law, while fully implementing commitments made by the two governments on December 27, 2025.
