Cambodian students return as Thais mull freeze of education exchanges
Cambodian students return as Thais mull freeze of education exchanges
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Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has shared it has not received any official notification from the Thai government regarding a proposal by a Thai senator to suspend educational assistance, scholarships and student exchange programmes with Cambodia, amid ongoing border tensions between the two countries.
The ministry’s response followed reports in Thai media that Senator Parinya Wongcherdkwan had called on the government to suspend scholarship and student exchange programmes with Cambodia and review the development assistance provided to the country until the border situation returns to normal.
“Before the incursion by the Thai side, there were approximately 1,700 Cambodian students studying in Thailand, including more than 400 scholarship recipients,” education ministry spokesperson Khuon Vichheka told The Post.
She explained that nearly all Cambodian students had already returned home in recent months, while the ministry had arranged nine rounds of alternative scholarships to ensure that their studies could continue without disruption.
“Almost all of the Cambodian students who were in Thailand have returned home. The ministry has facilitated nine rounds of replacement scholarships for them so that they can continue their education without interruption,” she said.
Vichheka added that of the small number of Cambodian students remain in Thailand, most are final-year students completing their studies. The ministry continues to closely monitor their situation and wellbeing.
“We are continuing to monitor the wellbeing and safety of our students,” she stated.
According to Thai media reports, Parinya has also called for the dissolution of the Thailand-Cambodia Parliamentary Friendship Group, which promotes relations and exchanges between lawmakers from the two countries. He reportedly urged all nine members of the group to resign.
In addition, he proposed ending subsidies for Cambodian students in Thailand, suspending new educational cooperation projects, and cancelling Cambodia’s participation in scholarship and student exchange programmes organised by Thailand.
The proposal comes at a time of heightened tensions in Cambodia-Thailand relations following border disputes and Cambodia’s decision to invoke international mechanisms under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to address overlapping maritime claims between the two countries.
-Phnom Penh Post-
