More than 100 civil society groups on Wednesday petitioned embassies in Phnom Penh whose countries signed the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements, urging coordinated action to uphold a border ceasefire with Thailand and investigate rights abuses from last month’s deadly clashes.
The agreements, signed by 19 countries, officially ended the Cambodia-Vietnam war and led to the United Nations temporarily administering the country.
The Cambodian government welcomed the petitions, calling for solidarity, but said it had already taken “all necessary measures, including engaging the international community.”
A July 28 ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, reached in Malaysia after five days of deadly clashes, was later expanded at an extraordinary meeting of both countries’ General Border Committees. More than 300,000 people were displaced and over 40 killed in the fighting. Many are now slowly returning home.
The situation along disputed border areas remains fragile. Cambodia condemned Thai forces for continuing to hold 18 Cambodian troops and reported that cordons are being established in areas where villagers live, amid ongoing blame trading over ceasefire violations.
Thailand has accused Cambodia of repeatedly laying new landmines along the border that have maimed its soldiers, a claim Phnom Penh denies.
The groups of petitioners, including the Cambodian Institute for Democracy and the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association, delivered their appeal to 10 embassies including France, the U.S., and China, calling for an international fact-finding mission to investigate ceasefire violations, breaches of international law and coordinate humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts for affected communities.
They plan to continue the initiative tomorrow, including at the Thai embassy.
“The diplomats confirmed they would raise our petition with diplomatic officials and forward it to French President Macron,” said Pa Chanroeun, president of the Cambodian Institute for Democracy and leader of the petition coalition.
A U.S. embassy representative told the group and reporters after receiving the petition that the U.S. is following the issue closely and supporting a peaceful resolution.
Both sides of the border dispute have allowed foreign military attaches to visit the area to assess damages and the ceasefire. The U.S. has also committed to setting up a regional monitoring team and using aerial surveillance to oversee the ceasefire, according to Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha.
