Half a million displaced persons return home as Cambodia pushes to resolve border dispute
Displaced Cambodian families arrive at a village in Banteay Meanchey province as part of a wave of nearly 500,000 people returning home following a December ceasefire, yesterday. AKP
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Nearly 500,000 Cambodians displaced by recent border hostilities have returned to their communities, though thousands remain in temporary camps as diplomatic efforts to resolve territorial disputes with Thailand face new delays.
The Ministry of Interior announced that by yesterday, around 498,000 people had returned to their villages, including around 5,800 who came back on January 15 alone. However, about 144,000 civilians remain displaced. Many cannot return home because their residences are located in 14 specific areas that Cambodia claims remain under “unlawful control” by Thai forces, despite a ceasefire that came into effect on December 27, 2025.
The disputed zones cover four provinces and include villages in Banteay Meanchey, the Thmar Da International Border Gate in Pursat, and several historic temples in Oddar Meanchey, such as Ta Krabei and Tamone Thom.
To break the deadlock, the State Secretariat of Border Affairs (SSBA) has consistently called for a special meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Commission. Thailand has asked to postpone the meeting again, citing the need to appoint a new commission following its general election scheduled for early February.
In the meantime, Cambodia issued a diplomatic note on Jan. 13 calling for the immediate resumption of joint technical fieldwork. The proposal asks Thailand to dispatch Joint Survey Teams between January 19 and 23 to resume surveys and place temporary markers near boundary pillars 42-47 and 52-59. Work in these sectors was halted in December following what Cambodia described as “acts of aggression.”
Cambodia has also requested that teams meet from Jan. 26 to 30 to replace 15 boundary pillars at previously agreed-upon locations.
The SSBA urged the public to remain patient, reaffirming its commitment to protecting national sovereignty through “professionalism and responsibility” while pursuing a peaceful, legal resolution to the border demarcation. AKP
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