A former Cambodian refugee has accused Thai forces of brutally attacking and destroying homes in a refugee camp during the 1980s.
Meach Sovannara, now leader of the opposition New Generation Party, wrote on his Facebook page that on January 5, 1980, heavily armed Thai infantry backed by artillery and aircraft launched an assault on the Nong Chan refugee camp. He said the attack burned down thousands of homes belonging to Cambodian refugees, leaving nothing behind.
According to his account, Keo Kot, who was then head of the temporary Nong Chan camp, and Chhea Rithychhut, a member of the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front, were seriously injured in the attack.
Meach Sovannara explained that Nong Chan was once a Cambodian refugee settlement along the Thai border. It was administered at the time by leaders of the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front, including Son Sann, General Sak Sutsakhan, and General Dien Del. He added that in its early years, more than 3,600 Cambodians lived there under the leadership of Chhea Rithychhut, who served as camp chief.
Sovannara said he himself lived in the Nong Chan camp between 1979 and 1981 before Vietnamese troops eventually overran it. He later moved to a new refugee settlement known as “New Nong Chan” in Battambang province in 1982.
The allegations resurfaced this week amid renewed tensions over land along the Cambodian–Thai border. On September 1, Thai media outlet Khaosod reported that Parinya Phothisat, governor of Sa Kaeo province, had granted permission for Thai villagers in Nong Chan to use six plots of land inside Cambodian territory after Thai soldiers fenced off the area.
Thai authorities reportedly told their citizens they must give prior notice before entering the land for safety reasons, saying the area had already been measured between border posts 46 and 47.
Cambodian officials have objected. Banteay Meanchey governor Um Reatrey sent a letter of protest to the Sa Kaeo governor on August 25, opposing the allocation of land rights to Thai villagers. Despite that, the Thai governor allowed residents to proceed with the use of the land.
Political analyst IN Sophal weighed in on August 25, sharing a United Nations map on Facebook and stating that Nong Chan lies on Cambodian soil, directly adjacent to Thailand. He said the camp had been under the control of the Khmer People’s National Liberation Front during the conflict years.
IN Sophal added that in 1979, some 13,000 Cambodian refugees lived in Nong Chan. By 1984, the number had grown to around 16,000, making it one of the largest refugee camps on the border.
The resurfacing of Meach Sovannara’s claims and the current land dispute highlight how past conflict and displacement continue to shape Cambodian–Thai relations today.
