PhnomPost-Oct 23, 2026
Around 20,000 displaced Cambodians remain unable to return to their homes, despite the fact that their safe return was guaranteed in last year’s December 27 ceasefire. The issue was raised during a meeting between Senior Minister Keo Remy, president of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC), and Phil Robertson, director of the Bangkok-based Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates (AHRLA), with the Cambodian side describing the situation as a serious human rights violation.
During the October 22 meeting, held at the CHRC headquarters in Phnom Penh, Remy highlighted the impact of the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict on civilians who remain unable to return to their homes. He described the situation as an attempt to create a fait accompli — an established reality on the ground.
He thanked Robertson for his role in calling for the release of Cambodian soldiers who were previously detained by the Thai military, according to a CHRC press release. Remy also raised concerns about discrimination, threats and various forms of violence faced by Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand.
He cited an alleged case of the rape of a Cambodian migrant worker by Thai military personnel, as she was returning to Cambodia from Thailand. Robertson said he had been following developments and had received information about discrimination against Cambodian workers and the alleged abuse. He also cited social progress in Cambodia, saying the number of people covered by healthcare services had increased from about 4.7 million in 2023 to 8.5 million in 2026.
He added that vocational and technical training had been provided to about 490,000 young people from poor and vulnerable families, as well as 8,149 prisoners, while the country’s poverty rate had also declined. Read more at:
