ASEAN Observers Assess Plight of Displaced Civilians Along Cambodia–Thailand Border

PHNOM PENH, June 16, 2026 (KPT) — An ASEAN observer team has visited displaced Cambodian civilians near the Thai border, as Phnom Penh renewed calls for the swift resumption of joint border demarcation work.

According to Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence, the delegation, led by the head of the ASEAN Observer Team from the Philippines, visited Rong Jam village in Banteay Meanchey province on Tuesday to assess conditions facing residents who remain unable to return home.

The ministry said the visit, coordinated by the Cambodian Liaison Group, aimed to allow ASEAN observers to verify the situation of civilians affected by the ongoing border dispute.

Cambodian officials alleged that Thai forces continue to occupy parts of Cambodian territory, installing barbed wire and shipping containers and damaging homes. The claims could not be independently verified.

Defence authorities said the inspection underscored the need for the Cambodia–Thailand Joint Boundary Commission to resume survey and demarcation work, consistent with commitments made under a December 2025 General Border Committee statement.

That agreement called for urgent measures to enable displaced civilians to return safely and without obstruction.

Cambodia reiterated its position that the frontier should be determined by historical treaties, maps and records inherited from the Franco–Siamese and Indochina–Siam boundary commissions, citing the principle of uti possidetis juris. Officials said any attempt to alter borders by force was unacceptable.

The visit comes amid continued diplomatic efforts by Phnom Penh to restart technical negotiations and facilitate the return of thousands of civilians displaced by tensions along the frontier.