Haunting the Night: Cambodian Villagers Endure Psychological Warfare Near Thai Border

The night has become haunting for Cambodian villagers. They live in the border villages of Prey Chan and Chouk Chey in northwestern Cambodia. Peaceful nights have turned into scenes of terror. The nights have become terrifying. Since October 10, 2025, villagers have endured a chilling campaign of psychological warfare. This includes women, children, and old people. It is allegedly carried out by elements of the Thai Armed Forces and extremists.

Reports describe eerie broadcasts of ghost-like wails. The wails are followed by the thunder of low-flying aircraft. These are meant to intimidate and mentally torment Cambodian civilians. This alarming act of cross-border aggression has drawn the urgent attention of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC). They have appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for immediate intervention. The CHRC seeks justice.

Women, children, and mature adults are among those affected. Reports describe eerie broadcasts of ghost-like wails. These are followed by the thunder of low-flying aircraft. The broadcasts and aircraft are meant to intimidate and mentally torment Cambodian civilians. This alarming act of cross-border aggression has drawn the urgent attention of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC). They have appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for immediate intervention and justice.

The nights have turned into a nightmare in the quiet villages of Prey Chan and Chhouk Chey. They are near the northwestern border of Cambodia. The evenings are filled with fear and dread. A terrifying campaign has been waged against the villagers since October 10, 2025. This includes children, mature adults, people with disabilities, and women. Some Thai extremist groups and the Thai armed forces have reportedly broadcast eerie sounds. These sounds resemble a ghost crying and are accompanied by the roar of low-flying drones.

The goal is clear: to psychologically torture and intimidate innocent Cambodian civilians. This brutal act of psychological warfare has prompted the Cambodian Human Rights Commission (CHRC). To issue an urgent appeal to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.

In its official letter dated October 11, 2025. The CHRC described convincing evidence that Thai military units have been deliberately. And persistently suffocating Cambodian villages, disrupting sleep, causing anxiety, and causing mental and physical distress. These acts aren’t just random; they’re planned, aimed, and extremely cruel.

The CHRC’s appeal is a call to conscience for the international community. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment states these actions are against the law. The deliberate use of sound as a tool to intimidate civilians cannot be supported by any civil society.

It is a brand-new, harrowing form of warfare. It targets the mind rather than the body. This warfare leaves less painful scars. Cambodia, for its part, has shown patience and responsibility. The fighting spirit of the Khmer ancestors who established the illustrious Angkor Empire serves as inspiration for the Royal Government. They strive to educate their citizens to maintain calm. They also promote tolerance.

Cambodia upholds international law, dialogue, and peace. However, patience is not the same as weakness. It undermines bilateral peace. It also weakens the spirit of ASEAN solidarity. This happens when a neighboring state allows extremism and hostility to spread across its borders. The CHRC urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to launch an immediate investigation. They called for an end to all psychological violence. They also requested the deployment of an on-site observation mission to the Cambodian-Thai border.

For the purposes of preventing a recurrence and ensuring accountability, such a global presence is essential. Additionally, the CHRC demanded that the afflicted villagers receive psychological and medical assistance—a humanitarian requirement that cannot be ignored. It is deeply concerning that such acts are occurring in 2025. This is decades after the world pledged “never again” to tolerate atrocities against civilians.

Not only is Thailand’s behavior a grave moral failure, but also a violation of the ceasefire agreement. The UN Charter’s principles of peace, human rights, and mutual respect are incompatible with using fear as a weapon. This is not a political issue. It’s a human being. The terrorizing of families at night with the sound of fear cannot be justified by border disputes or national pride.

The international community must stand with Cambodia. This is especially true for the United Nations, ASEAN, and human rights organizations worldwide. They have to defend the basic dignity of those living in fear along their borders. Silence in the face of injustice emboldens the aggressors. The days of hushed diplomacy are over. We are hopeful that the United Nations will have to act decisively to investigate, denounce, and stop these psychological attacks.

Principles rather than power are the foundation of peace in Southeast Asia. The Thai government is forced to choose between following the law and using intimidation. The world must demand that psychological warfare be stopped. Humanity should be respected to maintain regional stability. This will also maintain human decency and the credibility of international human rights standards.

The events unfolding along the Cambodia–Thailand border are not merely regional disputes. They are grave violations of human dignity and international law. The deliberate use of fear as a weapon is a dark and unacceptable form of psychological warfare. It must be condemned by all nations. Cambodia has responded with restraint and dignity, upholding peace and dialogue in the face of provocation. Yet, silence is not an option.

The United Nations, ASEAN, and global human rights institutions must act swiftly to investigate. They need to hold perpetrators accountable. It is imperative to ensure protection for affected villagers. Lasting peace in Southeast Asia can only prevail when humanity, compassion, and justice rise above fear and intimidation.