BANGKOK — Thailand on Monday rejected several points in a report by UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews on the human rights situation in Cambodia, saying the document lacked balance and did not take into account Thailand’s perspective.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said the government disagreed with and did not accept several issues mentioned in Andrews’ report, particularly those relating to the recent Thailand-Cambodia border clashes, displaced people and Cambodian workers returning from Thailand.

Sihasak stressed that the report was not an official United Nations report, but rather a report prepared by Andrews under a mandate from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The report has not yet gone through the UNHRC review process, where member states can discuss and provide observations.

“As someone who previously served as president of the UN Human Rights Council, I believe the work of special rapporteurs must be based on neutrality, fairness and impartiality,” Sihasak said.

“However, we are concerned that many issues in the report refer to Thailand without first consulting the Thai side,” he added.

The foreign minister said Thailand was particularly concerned that Cambodia had highlighted only parts of the report that referred to Thailand and used them for political purposes, despite an agreement between the two countries to avoid attacks against each other in international forums following ASEAN discussions.

Thailand also objected to Andrews’ statement that around 650,000 Cambodians had been displaced and unable to return home following the border conflict.

Sihasak said the figure was inaccurate, arguing that it appeared to include Cambodian villagers who had lived in areas claimed by Thailand for more than 50 years and should not be classified as internally displaced people.

He said Thailand had also evacuated around 400,000 people during the clashes but had managed the situation and taken care of its citizens.

“What Thailand cannot accept is why the report does not mention Thailand’s losses at all — including civilian deaths and attacks on hospitals and schools,” Sihasak said.

“The report must present the losses suffered by the Thai side in order to be fair,” he added.

Sihasak also rejected claims that Cambodian workers in Thailand had been forced to return home, saying Thailand had not pushed out workers, whether they were legally or illegally employed.

He said Cambodia had requested that its workers return, but many later faced a lack of jobs and became a burden for the Cambodian government.

The minister said Thailand also shared concerns raised in the report about political freedoms, freedom of expression and transnational crime, including scam networks linked to human trafficking in Cambodia.

As a member of the UNHRC, Thailand plans to raise these issues at the council’s next session and seek further action, while urging Cambodia to take stronger measures against scam operations, he said.

BANGKOK — Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday rejected comments by a United Nations human rights expert regarding the recent Thailand-Cambodia border clashes, saying the official had not yet heard Thailand’s side of the story.

Anutin was responding to a statement by Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, who said around 650,000 Cambodian people had been displaced following the border clashes.

“The Foreign Ministry will provide details. At this stage, Mr. Andrews’ statement was made without hearing information from the Thai side,” Anutin told reporters on 3 August 2026.

“Thailand does not accept that opinion,” he said, urging the public to wait for clarification from the Foreign Ministry.

The prime minister also addressed Cambodia’s plan to submit a letter to the United Nations on 7 August 2026 seeking recognition of the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU 43) and a 1:200,000 scale map as a basis for border negotiations with Thailand.

Anutin said Thailand had maintained a clear position on the agreement and that any negotiations must follow established principles.

“We have always adhered to our principles regarding MOU 43. If Cambodia wants to negotiate with Thailand, it must first consider the conditions required for talks to take place,” he said.

“No one can force us, regardless of where they submit complaints. We are confident in our position and do not need to explain ourselves to anyone,” Anutin added.

Regarding maritime boundaries, Anutin said that after the cancellation of the 2001 MOU (MOU 44), discussions would need to proceed through compulsory conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.

Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to a recent statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, saying it wished to clarify several points related to the Thailand-Cambodia conflict.

In a statement released after Tom Andrews concluded his visit to Cambodia, the ministry said Thailand did not initiate the conflict and claimed the situation resulted from “indiscriminate attacks” by Cambodia targeting civilian areas in Thailand.

Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, highlighted the humanitarian impact of the conflict in his end-of-mission statement on 31 July, including displacement, the return of Cambodian migrant workers from Thailand and economic disruption caused by border closures.

Regarding the UN expert’s reference to around 650,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Cambodia, Thailand said the figure included some Cambodians living in areas where Thailand had opened temporary shelters as part of humanitarian assistance in the late 1970s.

The ministry said those individuals remained in the areas despite improvements in their situation and repeated requests from Thailand for their return to Cambodia. Thailand argued that they should not be classified as internally displaced persons.

“Thailand is of the view that the right of return should not be exploited for political purposes or propaganda,” the statement said, while stressing that Cambodia has a responsibility to provide protection and assistance to citizens affected by internal displacement.

On the return of Cambodian migrant workers, the ministry disputed Andrews’ figure of 900,000 people, saying the number included both legally employed workers and those who had entered or worked in Thailand illegally.

Thailand said Cambodian workers returned voluntarily following calls from the Cambodian government and rejected any suggestion that it had a policy of expelling migrant workers.

“The Thai Government has always stated its commitment to ensuring the safety of Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand and has never had a policy to expel these migrant workers from the country,” the statement said.

The ministry also urged UN human rights mechanisms to uphold independence, impartiality and objectivity, saying assessments should take into account information from credible and verifiable sources as well as perspectives from all sides.

Thailand reaffirmed its commitment to human rights and international humanitarian law, saying it has consistently cooperated with UN human rights mechanisms and provided relevant information on the situation.

The statement said Thailand remains ready to rebuild relations with Cambodia but stressed that both sides must create conditions for dialogue by reducing tensions, avoiding provocative actions and implementing the Joint Statement issued on 27 December 2025.

Thailand said border-related issues should continue to be addressed through peaceful means and existing bilateral mechanisms.