The Ministry of Interior has labelled the denial of the case in which seven Thai soldiers allegedly raped a Cambodian worker as disinformation and an attempt to distort the truth, while legal experts pointed out that the act of rape has unfortunately become a cultural norm in Thailand when it involves individuals they have detained or deemed guilty.
Following widespread reports on social media and Thai news outlets about the incident, which claimed that the rape of the young Cambodian woman was false, ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak called the denial of the case an attempt to distort the facts. He emphasised that this was a real incident that was reported from Cambodia.
“The truth will be revealed shortly, as a specialised ministry task force is currently collecting information through scientific criminal investigation methods. We will prepare an official report and file a formal complaint with the Royal Thai Police, the Thai Embassy and relevant international organisations involved in violence against women, human trafficking or migrant labour issues,” he said.
The victim, an 18-year-old Cambodian woman from Kampong Thom province, was reportedly separated from a group of more than 10 other workers by Thai soldiers, who proceeded to rape her, in Chanthaburi province, Thailand, near the border with Battambang province, Cambodia, when she attempted to cross back into Cambodia on November 15.
Sokhak stressed that Cambodia’s cultural norms do not accept such acts of violence, stating that the victim must not be used as a “scapegoat” or a target for such brutality, particularly when it involves stripping away her dignity. He added that Cambodia has no policy of creating fake narratives that undermine the honour and dignity of Cambodian women.
“It is only a group of extremists and social media users in Thailand that create false content to misrepresent the truth and defame the Cambodian people, their honour, and the true image of Cambodia, as well as mislead other countries in their search for truth and justice,” he said.
He added that evidence of the crime could be found on Thai soil, including from witnesses, cameras or satellite images, which Thailand could use to verify the truth. He emphasised the importance of the search for truth, stating that it was not just a matter of Thailand evading responsibility but of distorting the facts from Cambodia.
Sokhak urged Thailand to accept the facts and that Thai authorities should arrest those responsible and hold them accountable to restore the dignity and responsibility required for justice.
Regarding the case, lawyer Sok Sam Oeun pointed out that the act of Thai soldiers raping a Cambodian woman was not an isolated incident but part of a broader cultural issue in Thailand.
He pointed out that, historically, Thai soldiers would often engage in such acts of violence, especially during the period when Cambodian refugees fled to Thailand in the 1970s and 1980s.
“In the past, from 1979 to 1993, when Cambodian refugees crossed into Thai territory, if a Thai soldier captured a woman, they would inevitably rape her. And if there were more soldiers involved, it was almost certainly gang rape,” he said.
He recounted that even Thai women accused of violating laws, such as smuggling, were not spared from similar violence.
“This is part of their culture — an act of violence done to those they capture or deem guilty,” he said.
He suggested that legal action should be pursued against Thailand, either through Thai courts or through international courts, to put an end to such barbaric cultural practices. He emphasised that such behaviour was a violation of human rights and a disgusting practice that should not be allowed to continue in the modern world.
