Prey Chan and Chouk Chey villagers face loss of ancestral land
Widespread destruction is seen in Chouk Chey village in Banteay Meanchey province. KT/Khem Sovannara
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Synopsis: After enduring two rounds of Thai military assaults, border residents are now grappling with the loss of their homes and land to Thai occupation.
Banteay Meanchey province – In Prey Chan and Chouk Chey villages along Cambodia’s northwestern border, the scars of war are evident in destroyed homes, untended rice fields and abandoned livestock.
The two villages, located in O’Beichoan commune of O’Chrov district, endured repeated military assaults last year, once in July and again in December. They are among six villages in the province affected by what authorities describe as Thai occupation, forcing many families to seek shelter at displacement camps.
Residents said the continued occupation of their land has triggered fear and prolonged uncertainty.
On the ground, dozens of houses have been ravaged. Many have been flattened and are uninhabitable. Twisted zinc sheets lie scattered across the dirt, along with broken beams and debris.
Villagers said the destruction was deliberate because the Thai military aimed to take Cambodian territory by force.
Chouk Chey village chief Pen Rithy said 707 of the village’s 807 families have lost their land to the Thai army.
“This illegal occupation of Cambodian territory is extremely excessive,” he said. “Today, all villagers place their hope in our Royal Government, especially Samdech Prime Minister, to resolve this for us.”
Rithy said 98% of homes in Chouk Chey have been destroyed and that many residents do not dare to return because of safety concerns.
He called for the removal of barbed wire and shipping containers set up by the Thai army to block access to Cambodian land, stressing that borders cannot be altered by force or at gunpoint.
At displacement sites, elderly residents speak of trauma and loss.
Muong Sophat, 73, a resident of Prey Chan village, has sought shelter at Chansy Pagoda. She said she had never imagined that she would be forced to abandon her home.
“I never imagined that my land would be fenced off and taken. I thought that, at most, we would return home after a week. Why has it turned out like this?” she said.
She had left all her belongings behind when she fled.
“I did not expect that I would not even have time to load a basket of clothes into the vehicle. The shells were falling so fast,” she said.
Sophat recalled hearing explosions as she ran towards the road in search of safety.
“When I ran and reached the national road, I suddenly heard an explosion. I never imagined such events would happen,” she said, describing the violence as “far more brutal than before.”
She said she feels deep sorrow when thinking about her former life.
“The house we lived in was peaceful and harmonious. Everywhere I turned, I would see photos of my nieces and nephews, my siblings, my grandchildren—everything was there. Now what do I see?
I see only the pagoda. I sleep at the pagoda. I feel deeply saddened,” she said.
She added that access roads to her home have been sealed off.
“Our house is completely blocked off. Containers have been installed and the road is entirely sealed. I have very little hope of returning home,” she said.
Despite the hardship, Sophat expressed hope for peace.
“I want to see peace restored so that our brothers and sisters can live in safety and comfort—that would make me very happy,” she said.
Oeun Chenda, 48, whose house in Chouk Chey village stands only a few metres from the barbed wire and containe barricades, said his family has fled for safety but he has volunteer to transport supplies to Cambodian troops.
Pointing to an unexploded 155mm artillery shell lying about 10 metres from his home, Chenda said: “Thai troops have laid barbed wire and containers at least 250 metres inside Cambodian territory from Road 58 and far from previously recognised boundary markers.”
Villagers said the installation of barriers and containers on Cambodian territory constitutes a violation of international law and have urged authorities to secure the return of their ancestral land.
Prime Minister Hun Manet recently visited displaced families in Banteay Meanchey province, where he assured them of government support.
He said the government was working to prevent further escalation and arrange temporary accommodation for those who have been forced to leave their homes.
“This clearly demonstrates that the Royal Government will not abandon any citizen. The wellbeing of the people is the wellbeing of the Royal Government and of the entire nation,” he said.
He also visited 300 families sheltering at displacement sites in O’Chrov and Thmar Puok districts.
Six villages in Banteay Meanchey province—four in Thmar Puok district and two in O’Chrov district —remain affected after fighting ended in December. Phnom Penh has reiterated that it will not recognise any boundary alterations imposed by force and insists on resolving disputes in accordance with international law, treaties and existing maps.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has lodged a protest over what it described as further unlawful activities in the affected areas.
According to the ministry, reports from local authorities indicate that additional civilian infrastructure and administrative buildings were demolished in the Boeng Trakuon area, between Boundary Pillars 33 and 36 in Thmar Puok district.
In Chouk Chey village, between Boundary Pillars 46 and 47, a ditch and a road were reportedly constructed and a pond filled in.
The ministry said these actions have altered the geography and contravened the United Nations Charter, the ASEAN Charter, and bilateral agreements on de-escalation and boundary demarcation.
Cambodia reaffirmed its commitment to the peaceful and lawful settlement of its boundary dispute with Thailand while maintaining its position that borders must not be changed by force.
For people like Sophat and Chenda, however, the issue is deeply personal. As they wait in shelters, many say they are hopeful that a peaceful resolution will allow them to return home and rebuild their lives.
-Khmer Times-
