August 18, 2025
PHNOM PENH – The Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC) issued an urgent August 15 appeal to UN and ASEAN agencies concerning unlawful barbed wire deployment and related actions by Thai armed forces.
The appeal was made in three separate letters to Volker Türk, UN high commissioner for human rights, Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Balakrishnan Rajagopal, special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and Edmund Bon Tai Soon, the chair and representative of Malaysia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).
The three identical letters informed the recipients of a “deeply concerning and unlawful acts” committed by the Royal Thai Armed Forces following the mutually agreed-upon ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand on July 28 and the 13-point Agreed Minutes of the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) Meeting between Cambodia and Thailand on August 7.
They noted that on August 4, Thai soldiers, armed with weapons, unlawfully entered Cambodian territory to lay barbed wire and deploy machinery to conduct land clearing in the An Ses area of Choam Ksan district, in Preah Vihear province.
Subsequently, on August 12 and 13, Thai Paramilitary and Border Patrol Forces undertook operations in the vicinity of the Chouk Chey and Prey Chan villages of O Bei Chorn commune, in O Chrov district, of Banteay Meanchey province, placing barbed wire, positioning vehicle tyre barricades and reportedly encircling civilian homes and farmland with barbed wire.
It added that on August 14, Thai armed forces intended to conduct similar operations in the vicinity of the Boeung Trakuon Border Checkpoint within Banteay Mean Rith and Thnal Bambaek villages, Kouk Romiet commune, Thmor Puok district, Banteay Meanchey province, but were halted by the presence of Cambodian armed forces and citizens, as well as international military attaché observers.
The CHRC has visited the locations and witnessed the immense suffering of the affected people. Families have been forcibly displaced, causing severe distress and loss of livelihood. Their homes and farms have been unlawfully taken by Thai forces.
“The aforementioned actions are in direct violation of Thailand’s obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law and constitute a serious infringement upon the rights of Cambodian citizens, as guaranteed by international human rights and humanitarian law instruments,” it stated.
It noted that these actions violated many of the Articles of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and Geneva Conventions (Fourth Geneva Convention, 1949).
In light of these actions, the CHRC respectfully requested the letters’ recipients urgent attention and support to request the immediate removal of all barbed wire and other obstructions, which constitutes grave and serious violations of MoU 2000 and International Law, especially the mandate of the Joint Commission on Demarcation for Land Boundary JBC, while undermining the efforts and negotiation process between the two countries; as these actions violate consensus between Thailand and Cambodia reached at the Special Meeting on July 28 and the Extraordinary GBC meeting on August 7.
The CHRC also requested their urgent attention to ensure the prompt restitution of all civilian property and farmland seized or encroached upon and to urge Thailand to fully comply with its obligations under the July 28 and August 7 meetings.
In addition, it called for an initiate an independent and impartial investigation to ensure accountability for these violations.
It urged them to treat this matter with the utmost urgency and to support Cambodia in ensuring that those responsible for these violations are held fully accountable.
The CHRC also took the opportunity to reiterate its demands and requests related to the immediate and unconditional release and repatriation of the 18 Cambodian soldiers in Thai custody.
“We seek your solidarity in upholding the principles of human rights, international humanitarian law and justice for victims of such unlawful actions,” it said.