More than 20,000 Cambodian civilians remain displaced along the country’s border with Thailand following two rounds of fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours last year, a UN expert said on Friday.

Displacement and Conflict

Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, also called on Cambodian authorities to crack down harder on scam centres, which have proliferated across parts of the country. Andrews stated that it is a matter of international law that those displaced by armed conflict have the right to return to their homes.

Thailand has previously denied the charge that it is illegally occupying Cambodian territory, claiming that it is following a bilateral ceasefire agreement. Border crossings between the neighbours remain closed, deeply impacting Cambodia’s economy and border communities that rely on the trade of agricultural and other goods.

A “cyberscam crisis” has also contributed to economic headwinds in Cambodia, with the proliferation of transnational cybercrime networks one of the greatest human rights challenges facing the country. Authorities have closed more than 600 scam locations, revoked or suspended the licences of 29 casinos, and about 3,000 scam operators face criminal proceedings.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.