Cambodia Urges UN Action Over Thai Barbed Wire Deployment in Disputed Border Areas

By Hun Sirevadh

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Aug. 15, 2025) — The Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC) has filed an urgent appeal to the United Nations, accusing the Royal Thai Armed Forces of unlawfully deploying barbed wire and seizing civilian land within Cambodian territory, in violation of international law and recent ceasefire agreements.

In a letter to UN Special Rapporteur Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the CHRC said Thai soldiers—armed and equipped with machinery—entered areas in Preah Vihear and Banteay Meanchey provinces between Aug. 4 and 14 to clear land and install barbed wire, reportedly encircling civilian homes and farmland. The operations, according to the CHRC, have displaced families, destroyed livelihoods, and resulted in the unlawful confiscation of property.

The CHRC emphasized that these actions breach the July 28 ceasefire agreement and the 13-point consensus reached at the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) meeting on Aug. 7. It cited violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, multiple UN covenants, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Cambodia is calling for the immediate removal of all barbed wire, restitution of seized property, Thai compliance with bilateral agreements, and an independent investigation to ensure accountability.