CHRC requests UN support for Cambodians to return to Thai-occupied homes

Photo: A razor wire barricade erected by the Thai military in the Thma Da area of Pursat province. Defence ministry

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Senior Minister Keo Remy, president of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC), has expressed concerns regarding the activities of the Thai military, which has reportedly destroyed the homes of Cambodian families in some of the Cambodian territory they are currently illegally occupying.

During a January 21 meeting with Benjamin Moreau, officer-in-charge of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Cambodia, Remy stated that the Thai military has deployed shipping containers and razor wire barriers to block Cambodian people from returning to their homes and communities.

According to a press release, the CHRC requested that the OHCHR monitor this situation by utilising international human rights mechanisms, engaging with relevant stakeholders and calling for respect for international human rights laws to ensure that Cambodian citizens can exercise their right to return to their homes with safety and dignity.

“These activities are considered violations of fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom of movement, the right to adequate housing, the right to personal property ownership and the right to safety and protection, among others,” it said.

The meeting was held to review the achievements in the field of human rights that resulted from cooperation between the CHRC and the OHCHR in 2025, as well as to strengthen and expand the 2026 cooperation between the two institutions.

-The Phnom Penh Post-