Anadolu staff
02 August 2026•Update: 02 August 2026
Thailand on Sunday rejected a statement by the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, saying Bangkok did not initiate the conflict between the two countries, according to state media.
The Thai Foreign Ministry said UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews had implied in a statement earlier this week that Bangkok was responsible for initiating the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia and its impact on Cambodian civilians.
The ministry asserted that Thailand did not initiate the conflict, saying it resulted from “indiscriminate” attacks by the Cambodian side “targeting civilian areas in Thailand,” state broadcaster Thai PBS World reported.
At a news conference in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, Andrews said around 650,000 Cambodian civilians were displaced from border regions at the end of last year, with more than 20,000 still unable to return home.
Andrews said he had spoken with civilians who were unable to return because their villages and towns were “now occupied by Thai soldiers.”
He added that “it is a matter of international law that those displaced by armed conflict have the right to return to their homes.”
Responding to Andrews’ statement, Bangkok said some of those described as internally displaced persons (IDPs) were Cambodians who had been residing on Thai territory, which had previously been opened to provide them with temporary shelter under a humanitarian assistance program in the late 1970s.
When conditions in Cambodia later improved, those Cambodians did not return to their country despite repeated requests by Thailand, the ministry said, arguing that they therefore did not fall within the definition of IDP.
It added that the right of return should not be exploited for “political purposes or propaganda, but upheld alongside genuine humanitarian concerns and principles.”
The Cambodian government has a responsibility to care for its citizens affected by the conflict and displaced within Cambodia, according to the Thai Foreign Ministry.
Thailand is ready to rebuild relations with Cambodia, but such efforts require genuine and sincere cooperation from Phnom Penh, the statement concluded.
Dozens of people were killed and tens of thousands displaced during fighting in 2025 before the two countries signed a peace agreement in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, in October in the presence of US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Although the fighting has stopped, tensions remain along the border, with Cambodia accusing Thailand of occupying parts of its territory.
