(Phnom Penh): United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia Thomas Andrews will visit Cambodia's border provinces to assess the conditions of Cambodian refugees displaced by the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict.

Andrews announced the planned visit during a courtesy meeting with Cambodian Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Wednesday (Jul. 22).

According to Senate spokesperson Chea Thyrith, Andrews said he has been closely monitoring developments along the Cambodia-Thailand border and intends to meet families displaced by the conflict to better understand the hardships they continue to face.

The special rapporteur said he wants to observe firsthand the living conditions of affected refugees and assess the impact of the conflict on local communities.

In response, Samdech Techo Hun Sen welcomed Andrews' decision to visit the border areas and thanked him for his interest in the humanitarian situation.

The Senate president said he hoped the Special Rapporteur's visit would provide a clear picture of the challenges faced by displaced Cambodian families and the impact the conflict has had on their lives.

Samdech Techo also briefed Andrews on the historical background of the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute to provide additional context.

More than 20,000 civilians continue to reside in temporary shelters, with many children unable to attend school and the elderly and other vulnerable persons lacking adequate access to essential care despite the government’s efforts to ease their hardship.

Cambodia reaffirmed its commitment to resolving all boundary disputes with Thailand, as with all its neighbours, exclusively through peaceful means, in accordance with international law and existing bilateral agreements, while firmly upholding its principled position that international borderlines must not be altered by force.
=FRESH NEWS