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Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute: 20,000 Displaced Residents Unable to Return, Information Minister Shares AFP Report
Cambodia's Minister of Information has shared an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report detailing the situation along the Cambodia-Thailand border, where over 20,000 residents remain displaced due to conflict and cannot return home. Displaced individuals expressed longing for their homes, with one stating, 'I miss my home' and dreams of returning.
Minister of Information Net Phokda shared on September 4, 2024, a report from the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) concerning the situation at the Cambodia-Thailand border. This follows previous reports from other French media outlets such as Le Monde, La Liberation, and Le Figaro. The AFP report, titled 'I miss my home,' highlights Cambodians displaced by conflict starting to rebuild their lives. According to the report, over 20,000 Cambodian citizens remain unable to return to their homes due to Thai military occupation of the land they once inhabited. The article is also featured on Yahoo! News. Ms. Keo Sothary, 39, told AFP with tears, 'Thailand took my home. I don't want to talk about it. When I talk about it, I can't hold back my tears.' Ms. Um Chailap, 48, stated, 'I still miss my home because everything I built for 20 or 30 years is there,' and referred to the Thai soldiers occupying the area as 'thieves.' AFP reported seeing roads leading to villages like Boun Tralok blocked by containers and barbed wire installed by Thai forces. While the Cambodian government has constructed 'waiting villages' and over 3,000 new homes to provide adequate shelter for displaced families, the article notes that these new houses offer shelter but cannot replace the homes they wish to return to. UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews told AFP that they 'have the right to return to their homes.'
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CPP Cambodia