Displaced Residents in Thmar Da Condemn Thai Military Encroachment and Wish to Return Home
Displaced Residents in Thmar Da Condemn Thai Military Encroachment and Wish to Return Home
Phnom Penh, July 10, 2026 —
Displaced residents from Thmar Da commune in Veal Veng district, Pursat province, have condemned continued encroachment by Thai armed forces into Cambodian territory and expressed their wish to return to their homes.
“We condemn the Thai invading forces for violating Cambodia’s sovereignty, destroying our property, and preventing us from returning to our villages. Thailand must respect international law,” said residents currently staying at a temporary shelter at Hun Sen Pramoy High School, which is housing 61 displaced families.
The displaced residents added that they hoped to return home to live on their own land and resume their livelihoods.
Their remarks were made as journalists from several Cambodian media outlets visited the area to inspect locations where Thai forces had reportedly placed shipping containers, installed barbed wire, and carried out other activities violating Cambodia’s sovereignty despite the ceasefire that took effect on Dec. 27, 2025.
The residents also expressed confidence that the Cambodian leadership would continue pursuing peaceful means to secure the return of their land and homes, not only in Thmar Da commune but also in other areas that Cambodia says are under illegal occupation by Thai forces.
Through the media, they appealed to the international community to continue monitoring the alleged violations and to urge Thailand to comply with international law.
According to the Pursat provincial administration, Thai forces have maintained shipping containers and barbed wire at Checkpoint 56 since early January 2026, in an area where Thailand has illegally occupied approximately 70 hectares of Cambodian territory, affecting homes, farmland, and commercial areas.
The Royal Government of Cambodia has repeatedly reaffirmed that it will never recognise any unilateral alteration of the border through the use of force. Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Cambodia has lodged a series of formal protests and urged Thailand to fully respect the Dec. 27, 2025 Joint Statement, international law, Cambodia’s territorial integrity, and existing bilateral agreements in order to preserve peace, stability, and good-neighbourly relations between the two countries. -AKP-
Article in Khmer by Phen Rattanak
Article in English by C. Nika
