Cambodia Urges ASEAN Support for Return of 20,000 Displaced Civilians

Cambodia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, has urged his ASEAN counterparts to support the return of over 20,000 Cambodian civilians who are unable to go back to their homes due to the Thai military’s occupation of Cambodian territory. The appeal was made during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Interface with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) representatives and the Meeting of the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission, held in the Philippines on July 20. A foreign ministry statement said the minister underscored the difficult humanitarian and human rights situation facing Cambodian civilians who have become victims of the border conflict. He informed the meeting that more than 20,000 civilians continue to reside in temporary shelters, with many children unable to attend school and the elderly and other vulnerable persons lacking adequate access to essential care despite the government’s efforts to ease their hardship. He called on his ASEAN colleagues to support the calls for their return to their homes and normal livelihoods, without obstruction and in safety and dignity, the statement added. During a bilateral meeting with Theresa P. Lazaro, Philippines’ Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Sokhonn expressed his appreciation for the Philippines’ constructive support and role in the peaceful resolution of the Cambodia-Thailand border situation and for leading the ASEAN Observation Team (AOT) in its capacity as the ASEAN chair. According to the Ministry of Interior, more than 20,000 Cambodians remain in temporary camps because they cannot return to their homes and villages—many of which were occupied or destroyed by the Thai military, while others contain unexploded ordnance (UXO).