Cambodia urges UN Human Rights Council to uphold law amid border tensions with Thailand

GENEVA, March 2 (KPT) — Cambodia has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to uphold the rule of law and respect for sovereignty in response to ongoing border tensions with Thailand.

At the Council’s 61st session, Cambodia’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Dara In, delivered a statement during the general debate on the High Commissioner’s global update.

He praised the High Commissioner for stressing that the credibility of the international order is tested in moments of strain, when adherence to law is inconvenient and restraint requires courage.

“Law cannot be treated as optional, peace as negotiable, or force as expedient,” he said. “The Charter was not drafted for selective compliance, nor to legitimise faits accomplis. Coercion cannot yield peace, nor can occupation confer legality.”

Dara In reported that since mid-May 2025, Thai armed forces had carried out operations across several border sectors, causing civilian casualties, destruction of homes and infrastructure, pillage, forced evictions and large-scale displacement.

Barbed wire and shipping containers had blocked access to homes and villages, impeding safe return.

He called on the Council to act with resolve, stressing that only respect for sovereignty, accountability and principled multilateral action could safeguard human dignity and ensure lasting peace.