PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Manet has assured the Cambodian families displaced by the border conflict with Thailand that newly established resettlement villages will remain permanent communities even if residents eventually return to their original homes and farmland following a settlement of the territorial dispute.
He noted that some land has already been allocated to displaced families, allowing them to establish new livelihoods and continue developing the villages while awaiting a resolution to the current dispute.
The assurance came during a ceremony to distribute rice seed and food supplies to flood-affected families in Battambang province on October 30. Around 20,000 Cambodian civilians from along the border remain unable to return to their original homes following the armed clashes that Cambodia has described as “Thai military aggression”.
Reflecting on his recent visits to displaced communities in Srah Kaev village in Oddar Meanchey province and Ta Keung Baitong village in Preah Vihear province, Manet said the new settlements should serve as lasting reminders of the suffering caused by war and the resilience of Cambodian families rebuilding their lives.
“Even if, in the future, we resolve the border issue and people return to their original land, these villages will remain, because part of the land has already been allocated to them. They will continue to build and expand these communities,” he added.
The prime minister explained that the settlements were intended to provide more than temporary shelter, with land allocations and livelihood assistance designed to help displaced families establish sustainable communities.
According to Manet, nearly 6,000 houses were constructed for displaced residents within several months, including approximately 3,000 in Banteay Meanchey province and additional homes in Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear.
He explained that families could not be expected to remain in temporary tents indefinitely while negotiations over the border dispute continued.
Beyond housing and land, the government has also introduced livelihood support programmes in the new settlements, including vegetable cultivation, livestock raising and small businesses.
Manet recalled seeing families who had moved into their new homes only three months earlier already growing vegetables, raising animals and operating small grocery shops.
He also highlighted the government’s Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development programme, supported by the World Bank, alongside other land allocation initiatives intended to assist landless households.
Addressing the unresolved border dispute, Manet reaffirmed Cambodia’s commitment to diplomatic negotiations and legal mechanisms rather than renewed military confrontation, stressing that protecting the lives of civilians and soldiers remained a priority.
He rejected suggestions that pursuing peaceful solutions amounted to weakness or an abandonment of Cambodian territory.
“Let anyone who wants to call us cowards do so. We are not running away from the problem. We are confronting it directly, but we are first using the diplomatic and legal fronts to resolve it,” he said.
The prime minister highlighted that war affects far more than the armed forces, disrupting border economies, damaging livelihoods and leaving unexploded ordnance that continues to threaten communities long after fighting ends.
He said some families in border provinces still keep belongings and agricultural vehicles ready for evacuation because they feared another outbreak of fighting.
Manet also defended the government’s preference for a lasting settlement rather than a rapid agreement that might fail to prevent another confrontation.
“If we can resolve it quickly and properly, that would be good. But if a quick solution does not bring an end to the problem, while taking a little longer can resolve it permanently, then we should accept taking more time. What matters is ending it once and for all,” he said.
The prime minister also pledged to visit displaced families living in Rong Cham village in Banteay Meanchey province, following his earlier visits to communities in Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear.
He said he had seen a message from a woman in Rong Cham who pointed out that he had visited displaced residents in other provinces but had yet to meet those in her community.
“I will certainly go there. I may even visit quietly without announcing it in advance,” he noted.
Manet reiterated that the government would continue supporting families affected by the border conflict through housing, land allocation and livelihood assistance while efforts to resolve the territorial dispute remained underway.
His remarks offered reassurance to displaced residents seeking to rebuild their lives in newly established communities without giving up the prospect of returning to their original homes and farmland. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
