(Banteay Meanchey): Along the Cambodia-Thailand border in Banteay Meanchey Province lies one of the areas where thousands of Cambodians fled to seek refuge in the 1980s, escaping the country’s civil war, particularly after the fall of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in 1979.

Oum Vuttha, a Cambodian national, fled to Refugee Camp No. 007 in Banteay Meanchey in 1979 before later resettling in the United States. He now lives in Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday (Oct. 15), Oum Vuttha and his wife, Oum Mirady, visited Prey Chan Village, Ou Beichuan Commune, Ou Chrov District, Banteay Meanchey Province, the area where Thai troops had illegally encroached upon Cambodian territory by setting up barbed wire fences on 13 August 2025.

Upon arriving at Prey Chan Village, formerly a refugee camp site for Cambodians, Oum Vuttha said the visit brought back painful memories of his time fleeing war and living in the refugee camp in 1979.

He recalled that he was around 10 years old at the time and still vividly remembers the tragic experiences he endured, not only his own struggles but also the cruel acts committed by Thai nationals against Cambodian refugees.

According to Vuttha, Thais never treated Khmer refugees well. When Cambodians left the camp, they were often beaten by Thai soldiers. Beautiful women were raped, children had their heads shaved, and some refugees were even shot dead.

Speaking about food supplies, Vuttha explained that they were supposed to be managed by the United Nations and the International Red Cross, but the distribution was handled by Thai authorities, who misappropriated aid funds. Instead of providing proper food, they bought low-quality, spoiled, and sour meals. He emphasised that Thailand did not help Cambodians at all, but rather exploited and profited from humanitarian aid provided by the UN and the Red Cross.

This former Cambodian refugee from Camp No. 007 completely rejected all content featured in a recent documentary video claiming that Thailand had shown kindness and generosity toward Cambodian refugees during that period.
=FRESH NEWS