'I miss my home': Cambodians displaced by conflict start over
BANTEAY MEANCHEY, Cambodia: More than 3,000 new identical houses rise in a grid formation from a Cambodian plain not far from the Thai border, but most of the residents, displaced by conflict, just want to return home.
Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia has witnessed the construction of over 3,000 identical houses in a grid pattern near the Thai border, a government initiative to house families displaced by border clashes with Thailand. The "waiting village" provides residents with new stilted houses, green roofs, and vegetable patches, offering a significant improvement from their previous tented accommodations.
However, many residents, like 39-year-old Keo Sotheary, dream of returning home, expressing their longing for their previous lives. The conflict erupted in July 2025 over a longstanding border dispute and resumed in December, with a ceasefire later agreed upon. Twenty thousand Cambodians cannot return to their homes due to the Thai soldiers controlling the area.
Despite the challenges, residents have set up businesses such as coffee shops, salons, and grocery stores, and there are health centers and schools in the village. The government subsidizes electricity, water, and provides free school meals, while local officials mention residents will eventually receive land titles. However, the displaced continue to miss their homes, hoping for a resolution to return.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
