Displaced by conflict, families cling to hope of going home
Photo: - The Thai army has blockaded the Thmar Da border area in Pursat province, preventing hundreds of Cambodian families from returning to their homes. KT/Heng Chivoan
Synopsis: Villagers can do no more than wait for a peaceful resolution to the border conflict so that they can return to their land after fleeing Thmar Da due to Thai military occupation.
As an intravenous drip flowed into her right arm, 65-year-old Yous Saly lay in a hammock at the Hun Sen Pramoy High School evacuation centre, her thoughts fixed on the home she abandoned six months ago.
The displaced resident of Thmar Da in Pursat province said she hopes to return to the house she fled after fighting erupted along the Cambodia-Thailand border late last year. She is among dozens of families seeking refuge after parts of her village came under occupation by the Thai military.
“I miss my home. I am saddened that I cannot go back,” Saly said.
She said she believes the government will find a resolution to the border dispute so that the displaced can go back to their villages.
Nearby, 37-year-old Say Sreydorn has been living with her family in a shelter since late December.
“Living in this temporary shelter, I have no income. We rely on humanitarian assistance and support from the authorities for food and basic supplies,” she said.
Saly is one of 203 displaced people from 69 households who remain in shelters in Pursat province, according to a report from the provincial administration. The evacuees include 104 women and 53 children under the age of 15.
Pursat Provincial Governor Khoy Rida condemned the Thai military’s actions in the Thmar Da area, describing them as an invasion and occupation of Cambodian territory.
He said the government is looking after the welfare of affected families by providing them with supplies, healthcare services and shelter.
Hundreds of thousands were displaced following border hostilities that broke out twice last year. Despite a peace agreement brokered by the United States and ASEAN in October, fighting escalated in December, when Thai military units fired 105mm and 155mm artillery shells into civilian areas in Thmar Da, forcing residents to flee.
Although Cambodia and Thailand reached a ceasefire on December 27, parts of the border area remain under occupation by the Thai military, preventing residents from returning.
Unlike in Banteay Meanchey, Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces, where displaced residents have been integrated into local communities through the construction of provisional shelter zones, residents of Thmar Da continue to live at the shelter.
The State Secretariat of Border Affairs stated it will not recognise any alteration of the boundary resulting from the use of force or unilateral military action.
According to the Ministry of Interior’s July 9 situation report, 83 more displaced people have returned to their homes in the border provinces.
However, of the more than 640,000 civilians displaced by the border conflict, 20,840 remain stranded because their villages and homes are occupied and damaged by the Thai military. The remaining displaced include 10,625 women and 6,066 children, the ministry said.
The ministry added that the conflict continues to disrupt public services. In Oddar Meanchey province, eight schools and five health centres remain closed, while five schools and one health centre remain shut in Banteay Meanchey province. In Preah Vihear province, seven schools and two health centres are closed.
It noted the government’s protest over continued Thai violations of Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the installation of barbed wire at two locations in the Mom Bei area of Preah Vihear province and the Chob Ruan area of Trapaing Prasat district in Oddar Meanchey province on July 2.
The ministry said the installation of the barbed wire violated Article 5 of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding on the Survey and Demarcation of the Cambodia-Thailand Land Boundary, as well as the joint statement issued following the third Special Meeting of the General Border Committee on December 27, 2025, under which both sides agreed to de-escalate tensions and resume border demarcation work through the Joint Boundary Commission.
The conflict has affected local infrastructure and livelihoods. The Thai military launched artillery strikes and deployed F-16 fighter jets that targeted homes and commercial infrastructure in Thmar Da.
The Me Toek Bridge, which connects Ekpheap village with Thmar Da commune, was severely damaged by a Thai F-16 airstrike during the 21 days of fighting, disrupting travel.
A few hundred metres away, near shipping containers and barbed wire installed by the Thai military after the ceasefire, 58-year-old vendor Sum Vanntha keeps her grocery shop open despite having few customers. Most residents have fled the area, leaving businesses struggling.
“We live in fear every day,” she said. “We want the border issue to be resolved through diplomatic efforts, not by force. I support the government’s efforts to seek a peaceful resolution, and I urge Thailand to stop its military aggression.”
Vanntha, who has lived in Thmar Da for four years, said the shop-house and petrol station owned by her children have been under occupation by the Thai military since late December.
“I used to earn about $200 a month. Now I earn less than $40,” she said.
She added that she never imagined she would again be forced to flee.
“I fled the Khmer Rouge decades ago. Now I am fleeing Thai military aggression,” she said.
Many displaced residents have also called on Thailand to withdraw its troops from the areas they claim are illegally occupied, allowing them to safely return home and rebuild their lives. They urged the international community to pay closer attention to the humanitarian impact of the border conflict and support efforts to ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
-Khmer Times-
