Thailand Disputes UN Report on Cambodia Human Rights

BANGKOK — Thailand on Monday rejected several points in a report by UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews on the human rights situation in Cambodia, saying the document lacked balance and did not take into account Thailand's perspective.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said the government disagreed with and did not accept several issues mentioned in Andrews' report, particularly those relating to the recent Thailand-Cambodia border clashes, displaced people and Cambodian workers returning from Thailand.

Sihasak stressed that the report was not an official United Nations report, but rather a report prepared by Andrews under a mandate from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The report has not yet gone through the UNHRC review process, where member states can discuss and provide observations.

"As someone who previously served as president of the UN Human Rights Council, I believe the work of special rapporteurs must be based on neutrality, fairness and impartiality," Sihasak said.

"However, we are concerned that many issues in the report refer to Thailand without first consulting the Thai side," he added.

The foreign minister said Thailand was particularly concerned that Cambodia had highlighted only parts of the report that referred to Thailand and used them for political purposes, despite an agreement between the two countries to avoid attacks against each other in international forums following ASEAN discussions.

Thailand also objected to Andrews' statement that around 650,000 Cambodians had been displaced and unable to return home following the border conflict.

Sihasak said the figure was inaccurate, arguing that it appeared to include Cambodian villagers who had lived in areas claimed by Thailand for more than 50 years and should not be classified as internally displaced people.

He said Thailand had also evacuated around 400,000 people during the clashes but had managed the situation and taken care of its citizens.

"What Thailand cannot accept is why the report does not mention Thailand's losses at all — including civilian deaths and attacks on hospitals and schools," Sihasak said.

"The report must present the losses suffered by the Thai side in order to be fair," he added.

Sihasak also rejected claims that Cambodian workers in Thailand had been forced to return home, saying Thailand had not pushed out workers, whether they were legally or illegally employed.

He said Cambodia had requested that its workers return, but many later faced a lack of jobs and became a burden for the Cambodian government.

The minister said Thailand also shared concerns raised in the report about political freedoms, freedom of expression and transnational crime, including scam networks linked to human trafficking in Cambodia.

As a member of the UNHRC, Thailand plans to raise these issues at the council's next session and seek further action, while urging Cambodia to take stronger measures against scam operations, he said.