Thomas H. Andrews, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Cambodia, recently said in Geneva that more than 18,000 Cambodians remain unable to return home due to the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict.
Speaking on October 2 at the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, Andrews reported that during his mission he visited conflict-affected areas and examined the impact of the border dispute on the rights and lives of local residents.
He said that, according to data provided by the Cambodian and Thai governments, around 650,000 Cambodians and 400,000 Thais were forced to flee their homes and became displaced during the most intense phase of the fighting.
More than 18,000 Cambodian civilians still cannot return home. At the same time, the trade activities that once drove economic development along the Cambodia-Thailand border have also been hit, disrupting business operations and the everyday lives of workers and families.
Andrews stressed the importance of resolving the border dispute peacefully as soon as possible. He said affected residents should be able to return home to a safe and stable environment and gradually resume their normal lives and livelihoods once the situation stabilizes.
He also pointed out that peace and stability in the border area concern not only the safety of the two countries' citizens but also directly affect local economic activity and the recovery of people's livelihoods.
