Thai Military Refutes UN Report on Border Conflict

Thailand's military has responded to a UN special rapporteur's statement about the Thai-Cambodian border situation, insisting that Thailand did not initiate the conflict and accusing Cambodia of continuous border provocations. Army spokesperson Lieutenant General Winday Suwari issued a detailed rebuttal on August 4, clarifying facts about displaced persons and migrant workers, and calling on Cambodia to stop distorting information to damage Thailand's image.

The statement came after UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews concluded a visit to Cambodia between July 20-31 and released an end-of-mission report that mentioned Thailand in the context of the bilateral border situation. Thailand's military maintains that it was Cambodia that created the ongoing conflict through armed provocations and military incursions that violated Thai sovereignty and affected Thai civilians' lives and property.

According to the military, Thailand was forced to respond defensively under international principles, and both countries evacuated border residents to temporary shelters to protect them from combat. The military dismissed Cambodia's claim of 650,000 displaced persons as a distortion, stating this figure actually represents Cambodian citizens who voluntarily moved to temporary shelters. Thailand, the military noted, also evacuated nearly 500,000 of its own citizens, who have since returned home following a ceasefire on December 27, 2024.

The military stated that only approximately 4,690 Cambodian residents cannot return to their original homes—those from three areas that had been settled there before hostilities. The statement also addressed the issue of Cambodian nationals who illegally settled in Thai territory for over 40 years with Cambodian government support, noting that Thailand attempted to resolve the matter through bilateral mechanisms and Thai law but received no cooperation from Cambodia.

Regarding migrant workers, the military confirmed that approximately 900,000 Cambodian workers returned home voluntarily following an appeal from the Cambodian government, and emphasized that Thailand has consistently cared for Cambodian migrant workers. The military called on Cambodia to address its own problems responsibly rather than distort facts to harm Thailand's image, and urged UN mechanisms to present balanced information verified by both parties rather than relying on information from one side alone.