AKP Phnom Penh, October 23, 2026 –

H.E. Keo Remy, Minister attached to the Prime Minister and President of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC), met with Mr. Phil Robertson, Director of the Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates (AHRLA), on Oct. 22 to discuss potential cooperation in the field of human rights.

During the meeting at the CHRC headquarters, H.E. Keo Remy welcomed Mr. Phil Robertson and highlighted Cambodia’s efforts to promote human rights alongside national stability and social order, which he said had created favourable conditions for national development and human rights advancement.

He noted that Cambodia had continued to promote labour rights through minimum wage increases and provided vocational and technical training to approximately 490,000 young people from poor and vulnerable families, as well as 8,149 inmates.

He also cited an expansion in health protection coverage from approximately 4.7 million people in 2023 to 8.5 million in 2026. Meanwhile, the poverty rate had declined from 36.7 percent in 2014 to an estimated 16.6–17.8 percent, with a target of reducing it to 6 percent by 2030. Average life expectancy had also increased from approximately 50 years in 2000 to 71 years in 2026, reflecting progress in social development and attention to human rights, he said.

Regarding the Cambodia-Thailand border situation, H.E. Keo Remy thanked Phil Robertson for previously calling for the release of Cambodian soldiers detained by the Thai military. He stressed that, despite the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand reached on Dec. 27, 2025, more than 20,000 displaced Cambodians remained unable to return to their homes.

He described the situation as a serious human rights violation by the Thai military and an attempt to create a fait accompli on the ground.

For his part, Mr. Phil Robertson expressed regret over human rights issues arising during the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict and voiced support for statements made by Thomas Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, concerning displaced Cambodians.

H.E. Keo Remy also raised concerns about alleged discrimination against Cambodian migrant workers living and working in Thailand, various forms of threats and violence, and the alleged rape of a Cambodian female migrant worker by Thai military personnel while she was travelling back to Cambodia from Thailand.

Mr. Phil Robertson said he had been following developments and had received information concerning discrimination against Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand, as well as the reported sexual assault case involving the Cambodian woman.

The AHRLA Director thanked H.E. Keo Remy for the meeting and for sharing important information about the human rights situation in Cambodia. He also highlighted the importance of establishing a national human rights institution and offered recommendations for improving fundamental rights and freedoms in the country, including the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

In response, H.E. Keo Remy outlined progress in promoting and protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ people. He noted that Cambodia and France had worked together on a draft resolution entitled “Towards Universal Decriminalisation of Homosexuality,” reflecting efforts to advance acceptance and prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.

By C. Nika