PHNOM PENH - More than 20,000 Cambodian civilians remain displaced along the country’s border with Thailand following two rounds of fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours last year, a UN expert said on Friday, following a visit to the disputed frontier.
Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, also called on Cambodian authorities to crack down harder on scam centres, which have proliferated across parts of the country.
Of the approximately 650,000 Cambodian civilians displaced in border regions at the end of last year, more than 20,000 are still unable to go home, with some towns and villages occupied by Thai troops, Mr Andrews said at a press briefing in Phnom Penh.
“It is a matter of international law that those displaced by armed conflict have the right to return to their homes,” he said. “It is imperative that Thailand and Cambodia work together to expedite the return of displaced civilians.”
Thailand has repeatedly denied that it is illegally occupying Cambodian territory, claiming that it is following a bilateral ceasefire agreement. Border crossings between the neighbours remain closed.
The closing of border crossings has deeply impacted Cambodia’s economy and border communities that rely on the trade of agricultural and other goods, according to Mr Andrews.
The “cyberscam crisis” has also contributed to economic headwinds in Cambodia, with the proliferation of transnational crime networks one of the greatest human rights challenges facing the country, he said.
Authorities have closed more than 600 scam locations, revoked or suspended the licences of 29 casinos, and about 3,000 scam operators face criminal proceedings, according to Mr Andrews.
However, he said the government hasn’t yet acted against senior Cambodian officials and other influential individuals credibly linked to online scam operations.
