One Month After Ceasefire, Hope And Fear Linger In Preah Vihear’s Camps

By Vijian Paramasivam and Firdaus Saisi

PREAH VIHEAR, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- One month after a ceasefire was reached in the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand over 22,000 internally displaced people still fear returning to their homes, amid ongoing uncertainty and lasting peace. 

The displaced villagers — mostly women, children and pregnant women — fled their homes and farmlands as border tensions escalated and peaked in late June.

Today, they continue to endure harsh monsoon conditions and a growing risk of dengue fever in overcrowded camps across the northern province.

“Many of the people returned to their homes, but they came back because the situation keeps changing. This is an unfortunate conflict. 

“The wet and hot weather is a big challenge now, and there is a dengue outbreak with 30 cases daily,” Preah Viher Deputy Governor Nop Vuthy told Bernama during an international media tour to camps on Thursday.

The media trip, organised by the Cambodian Ministry of Information, was attended by several media outlets from ASEAN. 

The Por 5000 Pagoda Displaced Shelter is located about 140 kilometres from the tense border that witnessed military conflict on July 24. 

Inside the camps, women choked back tears during interviews, while men gazed aimlessly, and children played with their toys, made of bamboo and empty cans, under the cloudy skyline.

The make-shift flimsy camps covered with blue plastic, with bare facilities, now house the majority of farmers and 76 pregnant women who need medical attention.  

The once quiet farmland turned into a bloody military conflict that displaced about 300,000 people on both sides of the border, after international pressure forced an end to the turmoil on July 28. 

Malaysia, as the current ASEAN chair, led the ceasefire process, along with the support of the United States and China. 

Cambodia and Thailand concluded their third round of the Regional Border Committee meeting on Wednesday, which was part of the 13-point agreement reached in the ceasefire deal on Aug 7 in Kuala Lumpur. 

“People were jubilant when the ceasefire was announced, but the border tensions are causing fear among our people. We have to clear landmines and ensure the contaminated water is safe for drinking before they can return,” said Vuthy. 

Cambodia and Thailand, which once enjoyed warm relations, are now disputing over poorly marked border areas that stretch over 817 kilometres north of Cambodia, which is also home to century-old temple ruins. 

The sun quietly slipped beneath the dark clouds looming over Preah Vihear, home to the iconic Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Children played on, fashioning joy from crude toys along the dusty red-sand roads.

As night fell over the makeshift camps, the lively chatter slowly gave way to silence, swallowed by the encroaching darkness.

-- BERNAMA