UN experts have pointed out that following two rounds of armed conflict between Cambodia and Thailand last year, more than 20,000 Cambodian civilians remain stranded in the Thai-Cambodian border region, living in a state of displacement.
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Tom Andrews, said in an interview with AFP on the 31st, after visiting the Thai-Cambodian border, that out of roughly 650,000 Cambodian civilians displaced due to the border conflict at the end of last year, more than 20,000 are still unable to return home. Some towns and villages are currently occupied by Thai soldiers.
He emphasized: "International law is very clear that in situations of conflict such as these, displaced people have the right to return home."
He stated that some towns and villages are currently occupied by Thai soldiers, and barbed wire and roadblocks are preventing people from returning. "I saw houses riddled with bullet holes... there was even a bomb in the ruins."
Bangkok insists that it has only reclaimed Thai territory that was originally occupied by Cambodians. The border crossings between the two countries remain closed.