Between Exile and Hope: Cambodian refugees, hostages of the conflict with Thailand

In the heart of the Kulen district in Preah Vihear province, the Wat Por 5000 Safety Centre has become a silent symbol of the divisions affecting the border between Cambodia and Thailand. This vast space, originally a spiritual sanctuary, is now the last refuge for thousands of civilians caught up in the turmoil of a border conflict where history, geopolitics and human lives collide with brutal force.

Wat Por 5000 Safety Centre. Photo AKP

Since the first explosions, nearly 5,000 people—from around 1,500 families—have crowded under the temporary roofs of Wat Por 5000. This structure, designed to accommodate up to 20,000 displaced people, is already filled with the constant buzz of displaced families, silent cries, worried voices and prayers for respite. The centre's corridors are teeming with women, children and elderly people, all of whom fled in haste, leaving behind their homes, land, memories and sometimes loved ones who remain unaccounted for—swept away by the blind violence of a conflict that few understand but all suffer.

Distress

The hospitality offered by Wat Por 5000 is very welcome: makeshift shelters, limited food rations, overcrowding, basic hygiene and restricted access to drinking water are now part of daily life for the displaced people. Cambodian volunteers, supported by a few specialised organisations, are working tirelessly to alleviate the emergency, distributing medical care to those injured during the journey or in the explosions, as well as clothing and basic necessities salvaged from the improvised humanitarian efforts. The fear of a ground incursion or air strike persists in the minds of the refugees, especially as the echoes of the clashes sometimes reach the centre.

In the aftermath of Thai air raids and ground bombardments, the humanitarian situation deteriorated rapidly. The Cambodian authorities responded by reinforcing evacuation measures and setting up reception centres such as Wat Por 5000, while the total closure of the borders plunged local residents into unprecedented isolation.

The international community, called upon by Phnom Penh, has so far responded in a measured manner. Diplomatic initiatives are underway; the UN is examining the situation, while the major powers and ASEAN are stepping up calls for restraint. But for the families of Wat Por 5000, peace remains a distant prospect for now, hanging in the balance as time and negotiations drag on.

It is in this limbo that the people of Wat Por 5000 live and survive: refugees from a war whose contours are unclear but whose repercussions are very real. In the chaotic maze of the reception centre, every child's smile and every act of generosity is a reminder that humanity will never allow itself to be completely trampled by the madness of borders. The final prayer at Wat Por 5000 is for a return—a return to peace, to roots and to the dignity that has been taken away by war for too long.