Thai military uses an excavator to destroy Cambodian civilian’s homes in a border area they occupy in violation of international law. Supplied
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has submitted formal complaints to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, accusing Thailand of destroying the homes of Cambodian citizens and calling for the immediate withdrawal of Thai troops from Cambodian territory.
The complaints were lodged by the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC) on Jan 5, under the direction of Prime Minister Hun Manet. They were submitted to OHCHR High Commissioner Volker Turk and UN Special Rapporteur Balakrishnan Rajagopal on the right to adequate housing, in Geneva, Switzerland.
In both submissions, Cambodia urged the UN to urgently examine and respond to what it described as violations of housing and property rights by Thai authorities.
“[Cambodia] requests engagement between UN mechanisms and relevant states in immediately stopping forced evictions, the destruction of home and the prohibition of returning to homes,” the CHRC stated in a press release.
It further demanded that Thailand withdraw its forces from Cambodian territory, cease all destruction of civilian homes, and ensure the safe and dignified return of Cambodian war refugees.
The CHRC also called on Thailand to provide reparations and compensation to victims, as well as guarantees that such incidents would not be repeated.
According to the CHRC, despite a ceasefire declared on Dec 27, 2025 Thai forces have continued to use military force unlawfully, intensifying the destruction of homes, property and both civil and cultural infrastructure.
“Thai soldiers broke into and invaded citizens' homes, stole private property such as motorbikes, power tillers [tractors] and other materials in Prey Chan, Chouk Chey and Boeung Trakoun villages in Banteay Meanchey province, as well as in multiple locations in Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey and Pursat provinces. These areas lie within Cambodia's recognised territory and sovereignty,” the committee said.
“These acts of aggression have caused hundreds of thousands of Cambodian civilian families to be forced to leave their homes, losing land and property; they are living in homelessness and suffering from forced eviction, which completely contradicts declarations, agreements and international obligations of state parties regarding the protection of the right to adequate housing as well as the right to hold private property,” it detailed.
The CHRC cited multiple international legal instruments that it said Thailand had violated, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 11(1)), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 17), the Hague Convention of 1907 (Articles 46 and 47), the Geneva Convention (Article 33) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 17).
“All these international laws clearly state that every citizen has the right to adequate housing and protection from interference with their home, as well as protection from the confiscation or theft of private property by any individual or group,” the committee stated.
It also called for urgent intervention, warning that “inaction and delays in responding to Thailand’s brazen acts of aggression against Cambodia's territorial integrity and civilians have been destroying trust in the human rights protection system.”
“In this situation, silence is not neutrality, but represents permission for impunity, injustice and double standards, which cause international law to lose its validity and threaten global peace, security and order,” it said. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
