Cambodia appeals to UN over displaced civilians after Thai military actions

PHNOM PENH, Jan 27, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodia’s Human Rights Committee said Tuesday it has lodged an urgent appeal to the United Nations over what it described as serious violations affecting more than 115,000 internally displaced persons following Thai military actions.

In a statement, the committee said it had written to Paula Gaviria Betancur, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, urging immediate attention to the situation.

The CHRC alleged Thai forces destroyed civilian homes in areas they had unlawfully entered and occupied, installing shipping containers and barbed wire that blocked the safe return of residents.

It said such actions amounted to forced eviction and breached provisions of the December 27 ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, including commitments to protect civilians and ensure their unimpeded return.

The committee warned the situation had severely affected vulnerable groups, including women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities, leaving them at risk of poverty, disrupted education and limited access to essential services.

It urged Thailand to withdraw its forces, provide reparations and guarantees of non-repetition, and called on the UN to press for an end to actions preventing displaced civilians from returning home.