(Phnom Penh): As of October 13, 2025, the Thai military and Sa Kaeo provincial authorities have for four consecutive nights permitted Thai national Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet, known online as Gun Jompalang, to commit severe violations against Cambodian civilians by broadcasting disturbing sounds across the border during nighttime hours.

These disturbances, explicitly authorized by the Thai military and local officials, began on the night of October 10 and continued until dawn on October 13. Using high-powered speakers, the perpetrator broadcasted loud, disturbing sounds multiple times per night, typically from 8 p.m. to midnight, again between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., and once more around 4 a.m.

The equipment was installed near Cambodian residential areas in Prey Chan and Chouk Chey villages, Ou Beichan commune, Ou Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province. Notably, the sound was directed exclusively into Cambodian territory, sparing nearby Thai villages, such as Nong Chan and Nong Yakhaew in Khok Sung commune, Khok Sung district, Sa Kaeo province, which lie farther from the broadcasting site.

These Cambodian villages are home to thousands of civilians, including the elderly, the sick, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, postpartum mothers, and young children. The intense sound bombardments have gravely disrupted residents’ sleep and mental health. Elderly individuals suffered irregular heart rhythms; children woke screaming in fear; and pregnant or postpartum women experienced serious health deterioration due to sleep deprivation.

The actions of Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet, carried out with the complicity of the Thai military and Sa Kaeo authorities, represent flagrant violations of multiple international human rights instruments, including but not limited to:
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
• The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ;
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child;
• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women;
• The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and
• The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

In response, the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC) lodged a formal complaint on October 11, 2025, with Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, calling for immediate intervention.

In light of the above, the CHRC respectfully urges the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to:

1. Initiate an immediate investigation into the reported use of disturbing sounds by the Royal Thai Armed Forces along the Cambodia-Thailand border and ensure accountability for violations of international human rights law.

2. Call for the cessation of all acts of psychological intimidation against Cambodian civilians, particularly the deliberate use of disturbing sounds during nighttime hours.

3. Ensure protection and provide necessary medical and psychological support to affected individuals, including women, children, and the elderly.

4. Encourage strengthened cross-border dialogue between Cambodia and Thailand to prevent recurrence and uphold the respect the spirit of the 28 July 2025 Ceasefire Agreement and the 13-Points Agreed Minutes of the Extraordinary GBC Meeting.

In this regard, the CHRC respectfully invites the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to conduct an on-site observation mission to the Cambodia- Thailand border area at the earliest feasible time, where serious human rights violations have been reported.

Despite the formal complaint, Thai-perpetrated violations continue without any concrete response from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

As an international body tasked with upholding and monitoring universal human rights, the UN High Commissioner must act swiftly and within their mandate to ensure the protection of Cambodian civilians who are currently suffering from these blatant violations committed by Thai actors.

A prompt response would demonstrate the UN’s genuine commitment to enforcing global human rights frameworks and reinforce the crucial role of international human rights institutions.

The High Commissioner must not stand idly by as a powerful nation inflicts serious harm on the people of a smaller, more vulnerable nation.
=FRESH NEWS