BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand has fired back at a UN rights expert, blaming Cambodia for the border crisis and rejecting claims of 650,000 displaced people.
The Foreign Ministry issued a blistering statement after UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews criticised the conflict on July 31. It said Cambodia launched arbitrary attacks on civilian targets on Thai soil.
Ministry gives Cambodia the blame
Thailand denied starting the conflict. It accused Cambodia of escalating tensions with deliberate strikes on Thai civilian areas.
The response came hours after Andrews ended his visit and published a sweeping critique. The ministry called his report one-sided.
Thailand disputes 650,000 displaced figure
Andrews highlighted 650,000 internally displaced people in Cambodia. Thailand said that number is wrong.
The ministry argued many of those people come from temporary shelters Thailand built in the late 1970s for humanitarian reasons. Those individuals stayed despite improved conditions and repeated calls to return to their home regions, it said.
Bangkok warns against using return rights as propaganda
The right to return must not be abused for propaganda
said the Foreign Ministry.
Thailand said the primary responsibility for protecting and supporting affected citizens lies with Cambodia itself. The ministry pointed out that some people in the shelters date back to humanitarian aid efforts from the late 1970s.
Ministry slams worker return numbers
Andrews also cited 900,000 Cambodian workers who had returned from Thailand. Bangkok pushed back hard.
The ministry said that figure includes both legal employees and illegal immigrant workers. It said all those people left voluntarily at the explicit request of the Cambodian government.
Thailand stressed it never pursued a policy of deporting Cambodian migrant workers. It called the UN expert’s framing misleading.
Bangkok calls for UN impartiality
The Thai government reaffirmed its commitment to human rights and international humanitarian law. But it demanded strict objectivity from UN mechanisms.
Assessments must consider information from credible, verifiable sources and the perspectives of both sides, the ministry said. Thailand said it has consistently cooperated with UN human rights bodies and provided relevant data.
Conditional dialogue offer
Thailand said it is ready to rebuild shattered ties with Cambodia. But there is a catch.
It said the Joint Declaration of December 27, 2025 must first be implemented. That deal aims at de-escalation and reducing tensions.